Ending Jan. on a warmer note....Snow in the forecast....MUCH colder February??

January is coming to a close with temps averaging close to 10 degrees above normal!!!  We will close out the month with a slight chance for light snow over the weekend.  Amounts look to be light. We then turn the page to February and WOW does Feb. look different!  The first week of Feb. looks to be a rocky one.  We stand the chance for seeing a rather large storm traversing the northern and central plains with a better chance of snow.  Behind this storm, it appears a big shift in the jet stream will allow for the arctic cold to roll into the northern and central plains.  There are a few things we look for to determine if and when the arctic air moves south.  One is a warm Alaska and all signs are pointing toward Alaska warming up to start the month of February.  The other is "blocking" in the atmosphere over Greenland and that appears to be taking shape as well.  All of this spells a much colder February than January.  Enjoy the "milder" weather while it's here.  

Chief Meteorologist,

Dean Wysocki