Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Saturday snow: 2″ to 5″ likely MSP, 5″ to 10″ south

Happy meteorological winter! December opens on a snowy note across southern Minnesota.

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Snowflakes up close. Image: Paul Huttner/MPR News

Our first storm of meteorological winter brings heavy snow to the I-90 corridor. The Twin Cities rides the northern fringe of the significant snow zone.

Here's NOAA's NAM 3 km resolution model sequence of events.

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NOAA NAM 3-km resolution model between 6 am Saturday and noon Sunday via tropical tidbits.

This system looks plowable from the Twin Cities south all the way into northern Iowa.

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Here are some storm headlines:

  • Winter weather advisory for the Twin Cities starting noon Saturday until noon Sunday.

  • Winter storm warning up for southern Minnesota.

  • Snow will begin in southern Minnesota Saturday morning and push north.

  • Snow will push into the Twin Cities Saturday PM, most likely early to mid-afternoon hours.

  • Snowfall intensity could pick up quickly Saturday PM, meaning roads will get greasy quickly. Snow should taper off around midday Sunday in the Twin Cities.

  • I’m expecting a range of 2” to 5” for the Twin Cities. Heavier south metro, less north metro.

  • Southern Minnesota will see widespread 5” to 10” totals.

  • Northeast winds will gust to 30+ mph.  Travel will be especially difficult Saturday night and Sunday morning.

Canadian solution 

The Canadian model map below is on the lighter end of snowfall range for the Twin Cities. A shift north increases totals for MSP. A shift south reduces.

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Canadian model snowfall via tropical tidbits.

American models

NOAA's GFS has trended way north over the last 48 hours and brings heavier snow into the southern Twin Cities.

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NOAA GFS model snowfall via tropical tidbits.

Early afternoon start

Snowfall onset timing could still change a couple hours, but this still looks pretty good to me. Falkes will likely fly in the Twin Cities by mid-afternoon.

Snow is here to stay

What falls will stick around for a while. Temperatures drop next week.

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NOAA via Weather Bell.

It's December. Let it snow!