Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Winter weather advisory for snow includes the Twin Cities Thursday night

Band of snow to cross much of Minnesota Thursday night into early Friday

Snowfall projection for Minnesota 2
Snowfall projection for Minnesota
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

It’s been 34 days since that last snow in much of Minnesota. Our Valentine’s Day snow dropped around 7 inches of snow around the Twin Cities.

Our next snow maker arrives Thursday night. The system is likely to produce a swath of snow from western Minnesota around the Fargo-Moorhead area, eastward into the Iron Range, and south to the Twin Cities.

Winter weather advisories have been posted by various National Weather Service offices in our region. The greater Twin Cities area is included in a winter weather advisory starting at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Winter weather advisory
Winter weather advisory.
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Including the cities of Alexandria, Long Prairie, Little Falls, Princeton, Mora, Morris, Glenwood, St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Cambridge, Center City, Monticello, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul, Stillwater, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Shakopee, and Hastings

305 PM CDT Wed Mar 20 2024 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THURSDAY TO 10 AM CDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches.

* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, and west central Minnesota.

* WHEN...From 7 PM Thursday to 10 AM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.

Here’s the detail on the advisory further northwest from the Grand Forks, N.D., NWS office:

Including the cities of Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Shoreham, Wolf Lake, Breckenridge, Lawndale, Fergus Falls, Perham, New York Mills, Parkers Prairie, Henning, Battle Lake, Wadena, Staples Airport, Menahga, Elbow Lake, Hoffman, Ashby, Erdahl, Herman, and Barrett

227 PM CDT Wed Mar 20 2024

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THURSDAY TO 10 AM CDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches.

* WHERE...Portions of central, northwest and west central Minnesota.

* WHEN...From 7 PM Thursday to 10 AM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.

And finally, here’s the verbiage from the Duluth NWS office for central and northeastern Minnesota.

Including the cities of Pine River, Brainerd, Aitkin, Pine City, and Hinckley

251 PM CDT Wed Mar 20 2024

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THURSDAY TO 10 AM CDT FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 5 inches.

* WHERE...South Cass, Crow Wing, South Aitkin and Pine Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Mille Lacs Band, East Lake, Lena Lake and, Hinckley areas.

* WHEN...From 7 PM Thursday to 10 AM CDT Friday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest 18Z NAM 3 km model slows the onset time of snow a bit.

If it’s accurate, the main snow wave Thursday will approach Fargo around 6 p.m to 7 p.m. and arrive in the Twin Cities between about 9 p.m. and midnight. The heaviest snow is likely to fall in the hours after midnight into early Friday morning.

The loop below runs between 7 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model
North American Mesoscale 3 km model between 7 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. Friday
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

Expect a more challenging rush hour commute than we’re used to seeing Friday morning.