Winter Chill
If you’re planning a trip to Minnesota this winter you better make sure you pack your foul-weather gear since the season is typically characterized by below freezing temperatures and snow is the primary form of the state’s precipitation during the winter months. With that said, you still need to be prepared for freezing rain, ice, and sleet since they, too, rear their heads. The annual snowfall has ranged from as little as ten inches to as much as 170 inches (yes, you read that right: one-hundred-and-seventy inches) with temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees (and yes, you read that correct, as well). Weather systems can impact the state from any direction north, west, or south but the majority of the winter weather is predicated on what is happening from the north based on a robust jet stream bringing high and low pressure systems which can impact temperature patterns in relatively short amounts of time. And there are two weather conditions you should be aware of: Alberta clippers and Panhandle hooks. Alberta Clippers are fast-moving areas of low pressure that move through the state during the winter months and frequently result in severe blowing and drifting snow, and sometimes even blizzard conditions. Panhandle hooks are opposite to Alberta clippers in that they form in the southwestern United Stated and move northeast in direction pulling moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. This pattern creates a wintery mix of precipitation, rain, or sometimes even thunderstorms will then often occur to the south of it Panhandle Hooks are responsible for some of the most famous blizzards that have occurred in the Midwest, including the Great Storm of 1975. But don’t worry, spring always comes ,and it will come again in 2011; but with that will come its own set of problems like tornadoes (so maybe you should just enjoy the snow while you can!).