Daily Weather Discussion

The weather is going to give us plenty of excitement as we head into the new year. 2 to 4 inches of snow today will be followed by frigid, dangerously cold temperatures this weekend. Most places will drop below zero this evening and won’t claw their way back above zero until sometime Tuesday afternoon.

Snow will develop quickly this morning and continue into the afternoon. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect through this afternoon for Sioux Falls and parts of southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. 2 to 4 inches of light, fluffy snow is possible. It won’t be terribly windy, but due to the fluffy nature of the snow even a 15 to 20 mph gust could create some visibility issues. Snow will end by late this afternoon.

After the snow, it is all about the cold. Temperatures will drop below zero this evening and stay below zero for almost four straight days. The coldest air will roll in just as we’re ringing in the new year. Sunday’s high will be close to 10 below with temperatures dropping to between 25 below and 30 below on New Year’s morning. That’s not wind chill factor, that’s the actual temperature. This is serious, deadly dangerous cold. Dress appropriately if you’re going out on New Year’s Eve.

Be safe, stay warm and have a happy New Year!

Bundle up! It is another dangerously cold morning. A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for much of the region. The actual temperature has dropped to between 10 and 20 below with the wind chill factor dropping to 30 below or colder at times.  Temperatures will gradually make their way back above zero this afternoon.

Today will be mostly sunny in the morning with clouds increasing this afternoon. Snow will develop late this afternoon and continue through tonight. An inch or two of accumulation is possible along and east of I-29 with 2 to 3 inches possible across parts of southwestern Minnesota. The snow will end by daybreak tomorrow. A second round of light snow is possible on Friday. Around an inch of accumulation is possible.

Another long lasting, even colder blast of arctic air is headed our way for the weekend. Temperatures will drop below zero Friday evening and won’t be back above zero until sometime on New Year’s Day.

The winter weather system we have been talking about for the past couple of days will roll in late tonight and continue through Thursday and into Thursday night. The system will not be as strong as originally anticipated, but will bring a band of 1 to 3 inches of snow to the southeastern portion of our KSFY coverage area.

Areas of light freezing drizzle will develop after midnight tonight with light snow developing by or shortly after daybreak tomorrow. Snow will continue through tomorrow and into tomorrow night. Overall snow totals will range from about 1 to 2 inches with slightly higher amounts possible in some locations. Northwesterly wind gusts from 20 to 30 mph will create areas of blowing snow throughout the day tomorrow. If you are traveling, be prepared for some issues with visibility, especially in rural areas. Snow will gradually diminish from southwest to northeast tomorrow evening.

Bitterly cold arctic air will plunge southward behind this system. By the weekend, highs will only reach the teens with morning lows dropping to the single digits. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be bitterly cold with morning lows hovering either side of zero and highs only in the single digits to low teens.

In the meantime, we get one more day of above-average high temperature day before things change. Today will be mostly cloudy with a bit of sunshine at times this afternoon. Highs will range from the upper 30s in Sioux Falls to the low 50s across south central South Dakota. it will be a bit breezy today. Wind will be from the southeast with occasional gusts to between 20 and 30 mph.