Wednesday, December 31, 2025  5:45 AM 

Prepared by Bob Weisman, SCSU Meteorologist and Professor Emeritus

Shift to Colder Temperatures to Start 2026, But Roller Coaster Temps Continue Through the Upcoming Week

2025 will finish and 2026 will begin with a roller-coaster temperature trend. After our 0.3 inch of snow yesterday morning (set number of frames to 200 on the College of DuPage north central radar US loop), temperatures climbed to the freezing mark by afternoon and above freezing by evening (see 7-day graph of St. Cloud temperatures from MesoWest). However, much colder air is already in northwestern Minnesota, North Dakota, and south central Canada (see NWS Aviation Weather Center METAR map). That colder air will dominate the second half of today through Friday (highs in the teens at best, lows in the minus single digits). There is another swath of light snow on the leading edge of the cold (see later frames of the College of DuPage north central radar US loop), which will produce some light snow or flurries from the early morning hours through the morning commute. Again, the potential snowfall is between a dusting and an inch.

Winds will only get to 8-15 MPH this afternoon and calm more before dark, so wind chills won't drop to the serious -20's except in northern Minnesota. Still, the cold will be an issue if you are caught outside for a long period of time. So, tonight's safety advice is to make sure everyone gets safely inside when you drop someone off. And, have that cold weather survival kit in your vehicle in case of car trouble.

We will see the slow moderating trend into the weekend. At this point, highs appear to be stuck in the teens on Saturday, but may reach 20 on Sunday with a better chance of highs in the 20's on Monday. There will be a series of weak storms moving along the large temperature contrast area parked near Minnesota, so I am uncertain how much daytime sunshine we will get or whether there will be enough clearing to allow low temperatures in the minus single digits. On the other hand, there is a small chance for a little light snow or flurries (note the light precipitation category on nearly every day of the NWS WPC quantitative precipitation forecast).

These large swings of temperature are likely to continue into next week.

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 16.4 inches, the 15th highest December on record. For the season, St. Cloud has seen 24.4 inches, which is the 20th highest Sept-Dec snowfall in St. Cloud records.

Ground and Air Travel Links

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

Detailed St. Cloud, MN, and Vicinity Forecast

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

Wednesday 12/31/2025: A chance for morning flurries or light snow, then a mixture of clouds and sun and colder. Any new snowfall between Tuesday night and Wednesday will be limited to between a dusting and an inch. Temperatures falling through the 20's during the morning, reaching the teens in the afternoon. Winds: NW-N 8-15 MPH. Wind chill: between -20 and 0. Chance of measurable snowfall: 40%.

Wednesday Night: Partly clear, light winds, and quite cold. Low: between -5 and 0. Winds: NW 5 MPH. Spotty wind chill: in the minus teens. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Thursday 1/1/2026: A cold start to the New Year. Mostly cloudy with a chance for light snow or flurries. A slight chance for between a dusting and an inch of accumulation. High: between 8 and 13. Winds: SW 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 20%.

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

Thursday Night: Partly clear, light winds, and still cold. Low: between -5 and 0. Winds: NW 5 MPH. Spotty wind chill: in the minus teens. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

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 holding between 8 and 14. Winds: light. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

Saturday 1/3/2026: Mostly cloudy with perhaps a flurry, light winds, and not quite as cold. High: between 12 and 17. Winds: NW 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 10%.

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

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

Sunday 1/4/2026: Cloudy with a better chance for light snow or flurries, and milder. High: between 15 and 20. Winds: SE 5-10 MPH. Chance of measurable snowfall: 30%.

Extended: Milder Monday??? Uncertain temperatures and small precipitation chances through the 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"): 8 Wednesday and Wednesday night, 6 Thursday, 4 Thursday night through Saturday, 2 Saturday night and Sunday.

Yesterday's High: 34°F (set at 8-9 PM); Yesterday's Daytime High: 32°F; Overnight Low (through 6 AM Wednesday): 32°F; High so far today: 33°F (Through 6 AM);
St. Cloud Airport 24-Hour Melted Precipitation (through 6 AM Wednesday): 0.03 inch; SCSU 24-Hour Precipitation (through 6 AM Wednesday): 0.3 inch snow/0.03 inch melted

Next Update: Thursday, January 1, 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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