Friday, January 2, 2026  2:00 AM 

Prepared by Bob Weisman, SCSU Meteorologist and Professor Emeritus

Slowly Returning to Near Freezing Temperatures

Yesterday morning's shot of light snow (set number of frames to 200 on the College of DuPage north central radar US loop) produced slightly more liquid (0.04 inch) than the previous two days, so we could have more than half an inch overnight! There is a new area of clouds over Minnesota early this morning (see filled in circles on the NWS Aviation Weather Center METAR map), but they aren't as deep as the past 3 mornings (see College of DuPage North America shortwave infrared loop), so the main effect has been to keep temperatures in the plus single digits rather than approaching zero overnight (see 7-day graph of St. Cloud temperatures from MesoWest), except in northern Minnesota (see NWS Aviation Weather Center METAR map). The light northwest winds are creating wind chills near -25 in the Red River Valley and on the Lake of the Woods shore (see latest NWS hourly Minnesota weather round-up), but wind chills are merely in the minus single digits and may dip below -10.

There will be a couple of chances for a little light snow or flurries as more weak storms move along the main branch of steering winds from the northeastern Pacific through northern British Columbia and Alberta, then into Minnesota (see College of DuPage North America water vapor loop). That chance will come both early tomorrow morning (1 in 5 shot) and on Sunday (1 in 3 shot at accumulating snow). The Sunday shot may come with a bit of freezing drizzle (set tab to 00 UTC Mon, 6 PM Sun CST, on the NWS WPC probabilistic winter precipitation guidance when precipitation type is set to freezing rain).

We are going to begin the slow temperature climb back to near average temperatures, but we won't get to highs in the 20's until most likely Sunday. There is a chance to hit freezing early next week, but it may come with a lot of clouds and some fog.

The main weekend travel trouble spot will again be the West Coast, where another series of rain storms is expected through the weekend (see Days 1-3 on the NWS WPC quantitative precipitation forecast). One of these Pacific storms will move into the Southern Plains by mid-week. That would raise the possibility of more significant precipitation in at least a part of Minnesota, but it's much too early to count on that.

Ground and Air Travel Links

• Minnesota
• North Dakota
• South Dakota
• Nebraska
• Iowa
• Wisconsin
• Manitoba
• Ontario
• Air Travel Delays and Cancellations from FlightAware.com

December 2025 finished with two days milder than average (yesterday not shown yet on the NWS St. Cloud December 2025 high/low temperature table), mainly since yesterday began with above freezing temperatures during the early morning hours (see 7-day graph of St. Cloud temperatures from MesoWest), but it won't be enough to prevent St. Cloud's second colder than average month of the past 32 months since April 2023.

It will take a bit, but I am working on the December 2025 and Annual 2025 St. Cloud weather summary. The additional light snow yesterday pushed our December snowfall to 16.1 inches, the 15th highest December on record. For the season, St. Cloud has seen 24.1 inches, which is the 20th highest Sept-Dec snowfall in St. Cloud records. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources climatology division mostly rated warm-season weather in the Top 5 Minnesota Weather Events of 2025. While severe weather was limited, the storms that produced major wind damage in Bemidji were rated the #1 event. #2 was the repeated episodes of smoke from Canadian wildfires. Numbers 3 and 4 were heat, both early (May) and late (October).

Detailed St. Cloud, MN, and Vicinity Forecast

Confidence Level: "The Bugs Are Waiting for Me to Mow the Lawn"

Friday 1/2/2026: Mixed clouds and sun and still cold. High: between 8 and 14. Winds: NW 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Friday Night: Cloudy with perhaps some flurries or fog, light winds, and not as cold. Temperatures between 0 and +5 early, rising to between 8 and 14. Winds: light. Chance of measurable snowfall: 20%.

Saturday 1/3/2026: Mostly cloudy with perhaps a flurry, light winds, and not quite as cold. High: between 15 and 20. Winds: NW 5 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Confidence Level: "Extra Bugs Will Come From Every Home on the Block to Hover Around My Head"

Saturday Night: Partly clear, light winds, and colder. Low: between -5 and 0. Winds: N 5 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Confidence Level: "Enough Bugs Will Fly into My Mouth to Throw Off My Diet

Sunday 1/4/2026: Cloudy with a better chance for some snow or freezing rain showers, and milder. High: between 22 and 26. Winds: SE 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable precipitation: 40%.

Sunday Night: Flurries ending during the evening, then cloudy with some areas of dense fog possible. Temperatures in the teens early, then rising to near 20 by early morning. Winds: NE 5 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 20%.

Monday 1/5/2026: Some early fog, then mostly cloudy, but back to seasonably cold. High: between 28 and 33. Winds: SE 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy with areas of dense fog possible. Low: between 25 and 30. Winds: NE 5 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Tuesday 1/6/2026: Some early fog, then mostly cloudy again. High: between 30 and 35. Winds: SE 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Extended: Milder first half of next week???

Forecast Confidence (10 - "The Rabbits Will Thump Even Though I Fed Them"; 0 - "The Rabbits Will Offer To Groom My Bald Spot"): 7 Thursday, 8 Thursday night and Friday, 6 Friday night and Saturday, 4 Saturday night, 2 Sunday through Monday.

Yesterday's High: 12°F; Overnight Low (through 2 AM Friday): 9°F
St. Cloud Airport 24-Hour Melted Precipitation (through 2 AM Friday): 0.04 inch; SCSU 24-Hour Precipitation (through 2 AM Friday): TBA

Next Update: Saturday, January 3, 2026 6 AM

Let me know what you think about this forecast and discussion by emailing SCSU meteorology professor Bob Weisman. Please note that I make the forecast, not the weather!

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