Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Major winter storm grazes Minnesota; more snow chances ahead

Up to 2 feet of snow may fall toward Chicago this week.

Winter storm warnings and advisories
Winter storm warnings and advisories.
NOAA

Winter is making up for lost time across the Midwest this week. NOAA’s NAM 3 km model shows Tuesday’s storm spinning toward Chicago. The loop below runs between 2 p.m. Tuesday and midnight Wednesday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model 2
NOAA NAM 3 km model between 2 p.m. Tuesday and midnight Wednesday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

A southern storm track is producing two major storm systems that will dump heavy snow south of Minnesota. The southern storm track may dump 1 to 2 feet of snow from southern Iowa through the Chicago area through the upcoming weekend.

Tuesday’s system has dumped nearly a foot of snow in far southwest Minnesota, with several inches in most of southwest Minnesota.

Snowfall totals
Snowfall totals for southwest Minnesota.
NOAA

The Twin Cities rode the northern edge of Tuesday’s system. We’ve seen just a snowy dusting across most of the Twin Cities area. MSP Airport picked up just a half-inch of snow Tuesday. Around an inch fell in the western suburbs with more just west of the Twin Cities.

Snowfall totals 2
Snowfall totals around the Twin Cities.
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Winter storm warnings are up from far southeast Minnesota through eastern Iowa into southern Wisconsin, the northwest suburbs of Chicago, into Michigan.

Many locations in the warning zone will pick up double-digit snowfall by late Tuesday night.

Snow chances Wednesday and Friday

Our next snow chances for Minnesota arrive Wednesday and Friday.

A minor Clipper system slides across Minnesota Wednesday into Thursday. NOAA’s NAM 3 km model shows light snow across most of Minnesota Wednesday into Thursday. The loop below runs between 6 am Wednesday and midnight Thursday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model
NOAA NAM 3 km model between 6 a.m. Wednesday and midnight Thursday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

A second major storm system winds up Friday and takes the southern track once again. This system is likely to drop more heavy snowfall in places like southern Iowa and Chicago.

European model (ECMWF) snowfall output
European model (ECMWF) snowfall output through Friday.
ECMWF via pivotal weather

Most forecast models suggest the Twin Cities will once again see just a light dusting if anything Friday. But the European model keeps the snow shield a little further north including the Twin Cities area Friday.

European model (ECMWF)
European model (ECMWF) for 6 a.m. Friday.
ECMWF via pivotal weather

Cold next

Now that we have at least some snow cover across Minnesota, temperatures will be more likely to reach subzero levels when the next cold fronts arrive this upcoming weekend.

Low temperatures this weekend will dip below zero across most of Minnesota.

Forecast low temperatures Sunday morning
Forecast low temperatures Sunday morning.
NOAA

Daytime highs will barely peek above zero in southern Minnesota this weekend.

Forecast high temperatures Sunday
Forecast high temperatures Sunday.
NOAA

Get ready for some real winter weather over the next week.