"Extended January Thaw: Anticipating a Significant Winter Heat Wave"

Minneapolis and much of southern Minnesota are experiencing one of the longest January thaws on record, with temperatures expected to remain above freezing for at least 10 days. This phenomenon, occurring 94% of the time in the Twin Cities, brings a brief respite to the typically freezing January weather. The upper air pattern shift from northwest Arctic flow to westerly Pacific airflow triggers the January thaw, and despite overall warming trends, the frequency and duration of these events have remained largely unchanged. Forecast models indicate mild temperatures well into next week, with the possibility of 40s and 50s in the region.