Weather denial: rain mixes with snow, nicer by the weekend

It could be worse.

That's what I keep telling myself as I do a double squint to see if those are really snowflakes mixing in on Doppler and out the window today.

Temps 20 degrees below average? Rain and snow in late April? "Debris balls" on Doppler in the South? There's certainly plenty of job security for a meteorologist these days. The problem is it comes with a high misery index for many.

The silver lining in this forecast? Thursday's release of the U.S. Drought Monitor will likely show a lot less yellow and orange on the maps over Minnesota.

If and when farmers can actually get back into fields next week, they will find some deep soil moisture to help crops along later this summer.

The good news for many in this forecast is it does get better as we approach the weekend. Sun and temps in the 50s to near 60 degrees may feel like a vacation.

• 5.64 inches precipitation so far in April at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

• 4th wettest April on record

• 82 tornadoes reported Monday across the Deep South (preliminary totals)

• 63 mph wind gust at Knife River, Minnesota, Monday

It could be worse. At least we're not the ones tracking "debris balls" on Doppler in Minnesota. Still Monday's wind gusts did exceed severe thunderstorm criteria across northeast Minnesota.

The gusts combined with ice-laden trees to down trees on cars in some spots.

Cutoff low swirls overhead

The weather culprit is in no hurry to move on. Here's the pesky low spinning overhead the next few days.

It looks like we endure three more days of really yucky (technical term) weather before it gets better. No need for an eye exam, those are snowflakes you see on the map, and outside your window.

With temps hovering in the 30s, I can't rule out some minor accumulations on grassy areas through tomorrow. Snowfall output from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Global Forecast System suggests an inch or two is possible north of the metro.

Better news by the weekend?

It's a good thing the Wild won last night. Another two days of blissful hockey distraction in the Weather Lab will help ignore what I'm seeing on Doppler and the models. It does get better by the weekend. The low finally spins out and we may get 48 hours of dry weather (and even some sunshine) Friday and Saturday before the next wave spins in later Sunday.

At this point, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts is most optimistic about our chances for some sunshine and milder temps.

 Severe South

The southern side of this cutoff low remains favorable for severe weather. We're now approaching 100 tornadoes for the outbreak. So far preliminary reports show 62 tornadoes Monday, after 36 Sunday.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center places another moderate risk today over the Deep South.