GFS Model Output for the surface precipitation on Saturday, January 20th. Courtesy of Wright-Weather.com

Well, well, well,.... the calendar "says" it's winter, but where is the winter weather?!! Not within the state this week, that's for sure! Rainy conditions and mild temperatures will stick around through the weekend. Model data courtesy of Wright-Weather.com.

A surface low centered over the Great Lakes region will sweep a cold front through our state late Tuesday night until Wednesday morning. Approximately one inch of rain will fall due to the passage of this cold front. Behind it, overnight low temperatures will dip into the upper 20's and lower 30's for the northern half of the state, while the rest will dip to the mid 30's to lower 40's. Daytime high temperatures will remain in the 40's and 50's.

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The surface weather map for 10am Tuesday, January 17, 2010. Map courtesy of NOAA, the NWS, and the HPC. I would like to give a hearty "shout out" to my colleague, Sean Ryan, who is the HPC Analyst Forecaster who made this map. Hi Sean!

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The surface precipitation forecast for 10pm Tuesday. The rain event will span from Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon as a cold front sweeps through the state.

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The surface temperature forecast for 4pm Tuesday. Colder air will blow into the state after the passage of the cold front.

We will dry out Thursday and Friday, during which daytime temperatures will rebound into the upper 50's and 60's, while overnight lows will barely dip down into the mid-30's. The next chance for rain returns on Saturday as another low pressure system moves through the southeastern portion of the country. Temperatures will remain well above freezing during this event.

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The surface precipitation forecast for 4pm Saturday.

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The surface temperature forecast for 4pm Saturday.

While the active weather pattern is allowing for additional rains to fall within the state, the pesky drought conditions continue throughout the period.

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Much of the nation is enjoying a particularly mild winter this year, and the Associated Press has written an interesting article noting how some parts of the economy are benefiting from the season. The article, titled "Balmy Winter Brings Plenty Economic Surprises", can be found here.

Happy storm spotting!