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Wednesday is Christmas Eve December 24th. A reminder that many businesses, banks, fast food restaurants and other entities will be closing early today, many by noon or 3pm for staff to have time with families on Christmas Eve and again most if not all businesses, stores and items are closed Thursday for Christmas Day minus some gas stations and bars that might have hours on Thursday. You may want to check ahead to see what is open and how they long they will be on Christmas Eve Day Wednesday before venturing out. 

Christmas holiday travel is in full swing, and the weather could lead to significant headaches both on the roads and in the air in parts of the country. Christmas Eve could have weather headaches, both in the East and West. East: Light snow, sleet or freezing rain will blanket parts of the Northeast. The most accumulations will be in northern New England and parts of upstate New York. However, areas from northern Pennsylvania to the New York City Tri-State area and southern New England could see some light accumulations that could make some roads slushy and slippery. Otherwise, a few rain showers are possible from the Appalachians to parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. West: A stronger storm will move into California with heavy rain and strong winds Tuesday night, first in Northern California, then spreading to Southern California overnight. Some rain and mountain snow from this system could also stream into parts of Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and extreme western Montana. By far the biggest travel weather headaches will be in the West, but there could be a sneaky travel headache in parts of the Midwest, too. In short, you should not travel on Christmas Eve or on Christmas in California. Central/East: Any precipitation in New England should end by early afternoon. The only other thing that might be a travel weather headache is the potential for areas of low clouds, fog and light showers in parts of the Midwest as warmer, more humid air tries moves northward. This could lead to some flight delays at major hubs, especially in the morning. Mn Dot reports that road conditions should be fair to good in most of the state on Wednesday and Thursday but with daytime temps getting into the 30s and night time temperatures in the teens and 20s refreezing will cause slippery roads likely into Christmas morning.

Ring in the New Year with free fun during the first day hike event offered at a dozen of the state’s most popular parks. On Thursday, January 1st, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hosting hikes in support of a nationwide campaign to connect people to the outdoors. As part of the First Day Hikes initiative, parks in all 50 states will welcome the new year by working out and connecting with nature. Snowshoeing events will be offered where there is enough of the white stuff. There is no participation fee for First Day Hikes, but visitors need a vehicle permit, $7 per day or $35 for a year, to enter Minnesota state parks and recreation areas. Visitors can save time and purchase permits in advance on the DNR’s permit webpage, or buy a permit in person during open hours at a state park ranger station. First Day Hikes will be offered at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park in Preston, Fort Snelling State Park in St. Paul, Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton, Lake Bemidji State Park in Bemidji, Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park in Soudan, Maplewood State Park in Pelican Rapids, Minneopa State Park in Mankato, Nerstrand Big Woods State Park in Nerstrand, Tettegouche State Park in Silver Bay, Whitewater State Park in Altura, and William O’Brien State Park in Marine on St. Croix.

The Minnesota State Lottery says there was a winning $50,000 ticket sold at the Casey's General Store in Little Falls.  Another ticket worth $50,000 was sold at a Speedway in Maple Grove. In Minnesota, prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date.  Prizes $50,000 and below can be claimed by mail or at any regional office. It is recommended that winners call ahead to check hours and to make an appointment. Unless the winner chooses to opt in to publicity, their name and city will not be released. As of Sept. 1, 2021, the names and cities of lottery prize winners above $10,000 are private data. Powerball could deliver the ultimate life-changing prize this Christmas Eve. The estimated jackpot is $1.70 billion for Wednesday night’s drawing. The jackpot has an estimated cash value of $781.3 million. Wednesday’s jackpot ranks as the fourth largest in Powerball history and among U.S. lottery games.

Listen to the Christmas Eve Mass at 4pm Wednesday from Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Little Falls live on Q92 WYRQ sponsored by Little Falls Machine.

Death Notices: Robert W. Seppelt. age 93 of Pierz. 

Weather: partly sunny Wednesday, high 31, clouds increase Wednesday flurries toward morning, low 20. Cloudy skies Christmas Day high 35, freezing rain possible Christmas Night after 9pm, low 28. Rain and freezing rain early Friday then cloudy and mild, high 38, freezing rain and sleet overnight into Saturday low around 16. Saturday freezing rain and rain changing to snow with gusty winds, temps rise to 32 before 1pm then fall to 0 by late Saturday night wind chills around -25 below zero, around 1 inch of precipitation. Sunday sunny and cold, high 8 above with gusty winds, wind chills will be well below zero all day Sunday. 

Sports: Pierz scored 109 points Monday in their win over Zimmerman breaking the school record set back 54 years ago at 105, congratulations to the Pioneer Boys Basketball Team. Quarterback J J McCarthy will not play Thursday against the Lions due to a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. Max Brosmer is expected to start on Christmas Day at 3:30pm live on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. 

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