Skygazers are in for a special celestial treat with this year's full wolf moon on Monday night if sky conditions in Minnesota cooperate.

William Bornhoft, Patch Staff

MINNESOTA — Skygazers are in for a special celestial treat with this year’s full wolf moon on Monday night if sky conditions in Minnesota cooperate.

The moon will pass directly in front of Mars, combining with the bright star Pollux to create a stunning view. Mars is one of four planets lining up this month in a rare four-planet conjunction.

Below is all you need to know about taking it all in, starting with the weather forecast for the full moon, starting with the weather forecast in Minnesota.

From the National Weather Service-Twin Cities:

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 6. West northwest wind around 15 mph.

Find out what's happening in Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -6. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

The moon reaches peak illumination at 4:27 p.m. CT Monday. Once it peeks over the horizon, it’s time to start watching for the magic. Times vary by region, according to NASA, whose times are localized to the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Throughout January, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will align in the night sky, according to NASA.

Just after sunset, look southwest and find Venus and Saturn low in the sky. Jupiter shines brightly above them, and Mars glows in the eastern sky. They’re all visible to the naked eye during clear conditions, but a telescope may reveal two other planets, Uranus and Neptune.

Because the planets align along the ecliptic, the solar system’s orbital plane, they appear to seem close together from Earth, NASA explains.

Each evening in January, Venus and Saturn will appear closer together, appearing the closest on Jan. 17-18 before gradually moving apart. NASA says the rare event offers a great opportunity for skywatchers to observe planetary movement.

January’s full moon is known as the wolf moon. Wolves seem to howl more at this time of year as the snow and cold of winter set in. According to lore, wolves howled because they were starving.

That’s not the case, though.

The truth reveals the complexity of wolves’ social lives.

“Howling is for long-distance communication to pull a pack back together and keep strangers away,” according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Howling is just one of the ways wolves communicate. They also use body language, mark their territories with scent, and bark and growl. Much of their communication is about reinforcing the social hierarchy of the pack, according to the NWF.

This communication also includes submissive behavior. A wolf not willing to challenge the hierarchy will often crouch and whimper, tuck in its tail, lick the other wolf’s mouth or roll over on its back, the organization said. If the opposite is true and a wolf wants to challenge the status quo, it will often growl and lay its ears back.

After a light dusting of snow expected on Thursday, a more significant, shovel-worthy storm is forecast to hit the Twin Cities on Saturday.

William Bornhoft, Patch Staff

TWIN CITIES, MN — A round of light snow is forecast to arrive in Thursday across the Twin Cities metro area Thursday.

Here's when and where that storm is forecasted to arrive:

A more shovel-worthy storm is set to drop up to 3 inches of snow on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Patch will continue to provide updates as the week progresses.

Here's the full NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Thursday: Snow, mainly after 1pm. High near 26. South southeast wind around 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Find out what's happening in Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of snow before 8pm, then a chance of flurries between 8pm and 11pm. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 17. West northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Friday: A chance of flurries after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 24. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west after midnight.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Saturday Night: Snow, mainly after midnight. Steady temperature around 24. East southeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Sunday: Snow likely, mainly before noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 24. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 2. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 8. West northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -2. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 11. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 3. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 25. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

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A later-than-normal winter surge in COVID-19 cases is catching some Minnesota residents by surprise as infections reach three-year highs.

Patch Staff

MINNESOTA — A later-than-normal winter surge in COVID-19 cases is catching some Minnesota residents by surprise as infections nationwide reached the highest levels in three years just as Americans were gathering with their families for the holidays.

Health experts call the current uptick in cases a “silent” surge because it comes after a long lull in COVID-19 transmission. This one came “out of nowhere,” Michael Hoerger, an associate professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and public health expert on tracking COVID-19 trends, wrote on X.

Hoerger, who runs a COVID-19 forecasting model that pulls heavily from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wastewater surveillance data, estimates that 1 in 49 people, or about 2.1 percent of the U.S. population, are currently infected with the virus, according to Hoerger’s data.

Typically, COVID levels start to increase in November and reach a seasonal peak around the end of the year. However, through October of this year, the wastewater surveillance data showed COVID-19 transmission at nearly the lowest level ever.

Now, data current as of Jan. 3, shows levels nationwide are “high,” with more than a dozen states, clustered primarily in the Midwest and Northeast, reporting “very high” levels.

Find out what's happening in Minneapolisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

States with “very high” COVID rates are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Trends began to shift in early December, increasing from “low” to “high” by the middle of the month. By Dec. 21, COVID-19 cases had nearly tripled from Dec. 7, according to the data.

The CDC no longer requires state health departments to submit data on COVID cases, instead using wastewater surveillance, test positivity and emergency department visits to track COVID activity.

Test positivity inched up to 7.1 percent from 7 percent the week before. COVID-related emergency room visits and deaths also increased slightly in the week ending Dec. 28.

This winter’s wave is different from previous upticks in the virus, according to Hoerger, who is an associate professor at Tulane University School of Medicine and public health expert on tracking COVID-19 trends.

“Many will be caught off guard” by COVID infections this winter, Hoerger wrote in the forecast, adding the winter wave “began much later than ‘typical’ this year, leading many to a false sense of security.”

Hoerger said it’s likely the current wave of COVID is a medium-sized wave — the fifth highest of 10 since 2020, but added there is “still much uncertainty.”

Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told NBC’s “Today” that he expects post-holiday increases in COVID, seasonal influenza and RSV.

“It’s silent (transmission) because most of these infections are quite mild, so people are not testing, or they’re blowing them off as a cold,” Schaffner said.

A summer wave of COVID provided the U.S. population with some immunity, but that is starting to wane as highly transmissible new variants — including XEC and descendants of the FLiRT variant — are circulating.

“These current variants are causing a lot of milder infections, which are going largely undetected,” Schaffner said, emphasizing that people who have mild or no symptoms are still contagious.

“The communicability of these viruses is contributing to a silent epidemic, if you will,” he said.

Symptoms are similar to previous omicron subvariants, including sore throat, congestion, runny nose, cough, fatigue, head and body aches, fever or chills, shortness of breath, nausea and loss of appetite, diarrhea and loss of taste or smell.

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months or older get the updated COVID-19 booster for 2024-2025. However, only 21 percent of U.S. adults have gotten their booster, according to CDC data.

Besides staying up to date on vaccinations, the CDC recommends that people who are exposed or show symptoms, even mild ones, should get tests. Those who test positive should stay home, and seek treatment if they’re immunocompromised or otherwise at risk of a severe infection. Social distancing and wearing a face mask are also encouraged.

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The Longfellow creative is known for constructing whimsical holiday displays for the neighborhood. This time he took on ice.

The Minnesota Star Tribune

A Minneapolis resident took the Twin Cities’ dreary January days into his own hands, creating a winter wonderland while waiting for snow.

Nate Rylander is known for amusing his Longfellow neighborhood with creative holiday displays. This month, he spent five freezing days sculpting water into ice. He blanketed fence post stakes, artist canvases and fence netting with a constant stream of water to form a 17-foot ice tower lit up with colorful LED lights.

“I just thought, well, this winter, there’s been not a lot of snow, the lawn is pretty bare,” Rylander said. “I wanted to just, like, make something that’s festive after the holidays here, into the new year that people can look at and be like, ‘oh, that’s fun, that’s cool.‘”

The tower stands tall on 42nd Avenue near 41st Street, making it easy to spot. Rylander, 36, said he doesn’t mind answering questions from neighbors or others passing by, such as how long the tower will last (probably all winter) or how expensive this month’s water bill will be (probably just an extra $50 or $100), he said.

As a rock climber, he was inspired by the aesthetics of ice climbing, as well as a friend in Winona who farms ice. While this was Rylander’s first time trying his hand at ice sculpting himself, as a home renovator and abstract painter, all of his neighborhood projects share the same goal of making people smile.

“I try to tell people that I still have that same desire to create as when I was a kid. It’s not like that ever goes away. It’s just put on a back burner as adults,” Rylander said. “Whenever I can create something that elicits some response from the public I just roll with it,” he said.

In the past, he has constructed other eye-catching displays for the neighborhood, like a mannequin stringing lights that looked like a real person falling off a ladder, or a person lassoing another with Christmas lights. Sometimes he gets letters in the mail from fans of his work.

Winter gear, including a full-body snowsuit and running gloves, was crucial to the ice tower construction process. After building the base of the tower, he kept a hose on a low flow for four or five days, adjusting the flow enough that the water would freeze and take shape but not cover the sidewalk in ice.

The process wasn’t without mishaps. One day Rylander’s girlfriend turned on a load of laundry before leaving home. Once the laundry shut off, the water pressure changed, and they returned to his ladder covered in 100 pounds of icicles, he said. Once he got the hang of it and the tower grew, Rylander said he could use the hose to play with different spray patterns.

“At the base of it, it looks kind of like the Lake Superior foggy ice, or like clouds in the sky because it was a fine mist,” he said. “More up towards the top, when I put the water on faster ... it formed more of an icicle look.”

That means that the glowing tower, which Rylander will continue to shape as needed for the rest of the winter, looks a little bit different no matter how visitors view it.

Certain special occasions warrant a true restaurant splurge — birthdays, anniversaries, and promotions all taste a little sweeter with an excellent meal on the table. But every splurge involves some level of risk, especially if you’ve been saving for months to finally try that seven-course tasting menu, or to go all-in on a once-in-a-lifetime steak. This map highlights restaurants that are more than just “fancy” or “upscale” — they’re spots where you can easily run around $200 a person or more at the end of the night, and leave feeling like the cost was money well-spent. Here are nine splurge-worthy restaurants around the Cities, in geographical order.

Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Meritage, just off of St. Paul’s brick-lined Landmark Plaza, has a distinctly Parisian feel, with its crescent oyster bar, bustling brasserie ambiance, and silver cones of pommes frites gracing every table. It’s the ultimate romantic dinner destination, and though chef Russell Klein’s five-course tasting menu ($110 per person; $60 for wine pairings; with foie gras and cheese add-ons) is a pretty flawless option, going a la carte is just as good: Think seared foie gras with blackberries and duck fat granola; escargot in an irresistible garlic butter sauce, made for sopping up with a hunk of baguette.

St. Paul’s Myriel — a name that nods to Les Miserables — is at once rustic and refined, its small dining room accented with European silhouettes and shades of cream and sand. Chef Karyn Tomlinson’s tasting menu, which starts at $179 per person, isn’t posted online, and the hyper-local dishes change with the seasons. Dishes have included sunchoke soup drizzled with duck fat; dairy cow bresaola; smoked lamb with birch, beet, and sunflower; and walleye mouselline in a beurre blanc. Pair dessert with a Scandinavian egg coffee.

Manny’s Steakhouse, which first opened in Minneapolis in 1988, sits at the top of the local steakhouse food chain. If splurging on a steak dinner is your end game, head here. Manny’s famous 50-ounce bludgeon of beef, fit to serve a crowd, clocks in at $159.95, but the sweet spot on this menu is the $93.95 bone-in ribeye, which can easily serve two. Dry-aged and beautifully marbled, this steak has a flawless crust, while the gristle is so tender you can bite through it like butter. Round out the meal with an order of fresh strawberries and cream.

Murray’s, open in downtown Minneapolis since 1946, is nothing short of a Twin Cities legend. For a splurge, the must-order here is the silver butter knife steak for $140. Meant to serve two, this 28-ounce strip sirloin is carved tableside, revealing a tender, rosy core. Beyond the steaks, Murray’s offers all the familiar accoutrements of a classic American steakhouse: broiled lobster tails; towering wedge salads; stiff sidecars and Boulevardiers.

Chef Shigeyuki Furukawa’s Kado No Mise offers exceptionally fine sushi in a landlocked city. Choose between three omakase menus — the “ume” ($84 per person), “take” ($138), and “matsu” ($192) — each of which promises pristine nigiri served alongside meticulously prepared courses like chawanmushi (a savory egg custard) and akadashi miso soup. Jikasei sorbet is the finale to each of the tasting menus.

Kaiseki Furukawa, sister restaurant to Kado No Mise, draws from the 16th-century tea ceremony traditions Kyoto, Japan, offering a 10-course tasting menu for $175 per person. Chef Shigeyuki Furukawa’s intricate menu changes frequently, but always starts with a sakizuke (a small appetizer that begins the meal) followed by dishes like crystalline ushio-jiru (sea bream soup), a selection of seasonal sashimi; steamed blue prawns and scallops; and Japanese pufferfish milt; finished with strawberries and uguisu mochi.

Chef Gavin Kaysen’s tasting menu restaurant, Demi, is refined and intimate: The walls are cloaked in a deep emerald color, the space softly lit by a constellation of lights embedded in the ceiling. Diners sit at a U-shaped table, while at the center, chefs prepare dishes like rohan duck with braised endive and cara cara orange purée; and frozen labneh with sunflower seed mousse. Two different tasting menus run at $125 and $175; apertif, wine, or nonalcoholic beverage pairings are available separately.

Dim and intimate, Alma is far and away one of the Cities’ most romantic restaurants. Chef Alex Roberts’ four-course prix fixe menu changes regularly, but expect elegant — though never ostentatious — dishes like foie gras bread pudding; red beet farrotto; and caramelized tiramisu. The restaurant has an extensive wine list and is known for its accommodating vegetarian menu. The regular tasting menu is $95 to $115 per person.

This trail-blazing chef collective, helmed by Mike Brown, Bob Gerken, and James Winberg, specializes in creating an atmosphere of delight and wonder — its whimsical tasting menu features dishes like foie gras on toast with dwarf truffle peach; nitro passionfruit fluffs; pasta nero with shrimp; and grape granita drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The tasting menu runs at $159 per person. Wine and cocktail pairings, plus supplements like oysters and caviar, are available separately.

Meritage, just off of St. Paul’s brick-lined Landmark Plaza, has a distinctly Parisian feel, with its crescent oyster bar, bustling brasserie ambiance, and silver cones of pommes frites gracing every table. It’s the ultimate romantic dinner destination, and though chef Russell Klein’s five-course tasting menu ($110 per person; $60 for wine pairings; with foie gras and cheese add-ons) is a pretty flawless option, going a la carte is just as good: Think seared foie gras with blackberries and duck fat granola; escargot in an irresistible garlic butter sauce, made for sopping up with a hunk of baguette.

St. Paul’s Myriel — a name that nods to Les Miserables — is at once rustic and refined, its small dining room accented with European silhouettes and shades of cream and sand. Chef Karyn Tomlinson’s tasting menu, which starts at $179 per person, isn’t posted online, and the hyper-local dishes change with the seasons. Dishes have included sunchoke soup drizzled with duck fat; dairy cow bresaola; smoked lamb with birch, beet, and sunflower; and walleye mouselline in a beurre blanc. Pair dessert with a Scandinavian egg coffee.

Manny’s Steakhouse, which first opened in Minneapolis in 1988, sits at the top of the local steakhouse food chain. If splurging on a steak dinner is your end game, head here. Manny’s famous 50-ounce bludgeon of beef, fit to serve a crowd, clocks in at $159.95, but the sweet spot on this menu is the $93.95 bone-in ribeye, which can easily serve two. Dry-aged and beautifully marbled, this steak has a flawless crust, while the gristle is so tender you can bite through it like butter. Round out the meal with an order of fresh strawberries and cream.

Murray’s, open in downtown Minneapolis since 1946, is nothing short of a Twin Cities legend. For a splurge, the must-order here is the silver butter knife steak for $140. Meant to serve two, this 28-ounce strip sirloin is carved tableside, revealing a tender, rosy core. Beyond the steaks, Murray’s offers all the familiar accoutrements of a classic American steakhouse: broiled lobster tails; towering wedge salads; stiff sidecars and Boulevardiers.

Chef Shigeyuki Furukawa’s Kado No Mise offers exceptionally fine sushi in a landlocked city. Choose between three omakase menus — the “ume” ($84 per person), “take” ($138), and “matsu” ($192) — each of which promises pristine nigiri served alongside meticulously prepared courses like chawanmushi (a savory egg custard) and akadashi miso soup. Jikasei sorbet is the finale to each of the tasting menus.

Kaiseki Furukawa, sister restaurant to Kado No Mise, draws from the 16th-century tea ceremony traditions Kyoto, Japan, offering a 10-course tasting menu for $175 per person. Chef Shigeyuki Furukawa’s intricate menu changes frequently, but always starts with a sakizuke (a small appetizer that begins the meal) followed by dishes like crystalline ushio-jiru (sea bream soup), a selection of seasonal sashimi; steamed blue prawns and scallops; and Japanese pufferfish milt; finished with strawberries and uguisu mochi.

Chef Gavin Kaysen’s tasting menu restaurant, Demi, is refined and intimate: The walls are cloaked in a deep emerald color, the space softly lit by a constellation of lights embedded in the ceiling. Diners sit at a U-shaped table, while at the center, chefs prepare dishes like rohan duck with braised endive and cara cara orange purée; and frozen labneh with sunflower seed mousse. Two different tasting menus run at $125 and $175; apertif, wine, or nonalcoholic beverage pairings are available separately.

Dim and intimate, Alma is far and away one of the Cities’ most romantic restaurants. Chef Alex Roberts’ four-course prix fixe menu changes regularly, but expect elegant — though never ostentatious — dishes like foie gras bread pudding; red beet farrotto; and caramelized tiramisu. The restaurant has an extensive wine list and is known for its accommodating vegetarian menu. The regular tasting menu is $95 to $115 per person.

This trail-blazing chef collective, helmed by Mike Brown, Bob Gerken, and James Winberg, specializes in creating an atmosphere of delight and wonder — its whimsical tasting menu features dishes like foie gras on toast with dwarf truffle peach; nitro passionfruit fluffs; pasta nero with shrimp; and grape granita drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The tasting menu runs at $159 per person. Wine and cocktail pairings, plus supplements like oysters and caviar, are available separately.