Update of Saturday PM flake chances and a look at New Year's Day

Updated at 12:15 p.m.

Areas of light freezing drizzle and other mixed precipitation have caused slick roads in portions of northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin today.

A winter weather advisory continues until 3 p.m. today in northeastern Minnesota and in a portion of north-central Minnesota. A winter weather advisory continues until 6 p.m. today in parts of northwestern Wisconsin:

Here are advisory details for northeastern Minnesota:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Duluth MN 1159 AM CST Sat Dec 30 2023 MNZ010>012-018>021-026-037-302100- /O.EXT.KDLH.WW.Y.0043.000000T0000Z-231230T2100Z/ Koochiching-North St. Louis-Northern Cook and Lake-North Itasca- Central St. Louis-Southern Lake-Southern Cook-South Itasca- Carlton and South St. Louis- Including the cities of International Falls, Ely, Isabella, Bigfork, Hibbing, Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, Grand Rapids, and Duluth 1159 AM CST Sat Dec 30 2023 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch and ice accumulations of a light glaze. * WHERE...Koochiching, North St. Louis, Northern Cook and Lake, North Itasca, Central St. Louis, Southern Lake, Southern Cook, South Itasca and Carlton and South St. Louis Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Grand Portage Reservation, the Fond du Lac Band and the Bois Forte Band, Deer Creek, Nett Lake and, Lake Vermilion areas. * WHEN...Until 3 PM CST this afternoon. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Road conditions can also be found at 511mn.org for Minnesota or 511wi.gov for Wisconsin.

Snow is in the forecast

Light snow moved into portions of northwestern and north-central Minnesota Saturday morning. A low pressure system will expand that light snow coverage across much of northern Minnesota and into parts of northwestern Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.

That snow coverage expands into central Minnesota later Saturday afternoon. Most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin can expect periods of light snow Saturday evening. Snow tapers off from west to east late Saturday night and early Sunday. Light snow showers could continue until later Sunday morning in southeastern Minnesota and in parts of western Wisconsin. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern from 6 p.m. Saturday through noon on Sunday:

How much snow?

One inch or less of snow is expected this weekend across much of Minnesota plus west-central Wisconsin. Southwestern Minnesota could see just a light coating of snow. 

The Twin Cities metro area appears to be on track for one-half inch to 1 inch of snow, mainly Saturday evening. A flurry or patchy freezing drizzle is possible Saturday afternoon in the metro area.

Parts of northwestern Wisconsin could see a couple inches of snow this weekend, with 3 inches possible along the south shore of Lake Superior:

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. 

Updated forecast information will be posted by the National Weather Service offices in the Twin Cities, Duluth, La Crosse, Wis., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Grand Forks, N.D.

Temperature trends

Saturday highs will be in the 20s across much of the northern half of Minnesota, with mainly lower 30s elsewhere in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. There will also be some lower 30s along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Sunday high temps will be in the 20s across much of Minnesota, with lower 30s in the Twin Cities metro area, southeastern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin:

High temps on New Year’s Day will be mainly in the lower 30s:

We’ll see plenty of sunshine on the first day of 2024.

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the mid 30s on Tuesday, then around 30 degrees Wednesday, followed by upper 20s Thursday and lower 30s on Friday.

Weather nugget

The average Twin Cities temperature this December stood at 34.8 degrees through Friday. That’s about one degree warmer than the warmest December in Twin Cities weather records, which was way back in 1877.

The average monthly temp is the average of all the daily low temperatures and daily high temperatures.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.