The Twin Cities started the year on a meteorologically high note, with daily temperatures averaging six degrees above normal throughout January, according to the National Weather Service.
The state of play: January recorded zero days below zero, NWS senior forecaster Joe Calderone noted. That followed just two sub-zero days in December. Sunday alone was 14 degrees warmer than usual.
Reality check: Don't get too used to the relatively mild conditions. The forecast shows the mercury dipping into the negatives by the end of this week.
- "We're going to see temperatures take a really strong dive," Calderone said. "I don't want to say it's inevitable, but it's part of winter here in the Midwest."
Flashback: This time two years ago, we were still thawing out from the polar vortex.
This story first appeared in the Axios Twin Cities newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard.
