Snow coverage expands Thursday evening, overnight; heavier snow Sunday
Update on snow totals
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We have two storm systems to talk about.
The first low-pressure system is already causing patchy snow in parts of southern and central Minnesota at midday Thursday. Snow coverage will expand Thursday evening and the snow will continue in many areas overnight Thursday night, ending Friday morning.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern from 6 p.m. Thursday to noon on Friday:
NOAA’s Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere (FV3) model shows a similar precipitation pattern for the same time period:
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Here are forecast snow amounts for Thursday into Friday morning:
Winter weather advisory
A winter weather advisory is posted for much of Minnesota and portions of Wisconsin from 7 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday:
The advisory also extends a bit to the northwest to include Detroit Lakes and Moorhead.
Here are details of the advisory:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1051 AM CDT Thu Mar 21 2024 MNZ041>045-047>053-055-057>063-066-068>070-220000- /O.CON.KMPX.WW.Y.0008.240322T0000Z-240322T1500Z/ Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns- Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Swift-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright- Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-McLeod-Carver-Scott-Dakota- Including the cities of Alexandria, Long Prairie, Little Falls, Princeton, Mora, Morris, Glenwood, St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Cambridge, Center City, Benson, Willmar, Litchfield, Monticello, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul, Stillwater, Hutchinson, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Shakopee, and Hastings 1051 AM CDT Thu Mar 21 2024 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM CDT FRIDAY... * WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches, with the heavier totals likely along and just south of I-94. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central and west central Minnesota. * WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 10 AM CDT Friday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
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.
Stronger storm Sunday into Monday
Heavier snow and stronger winds are expected with a storm system that arrives Sunday and lingers into Monday and early Tuesday.
Some areas will see 6 inches or more of snow from Sunday into Tuesday:
I wouldn’t be surprised to see some double-digit snow totals Sunday through late Monday.
Monitor updates on the Sunday-Monday storm, which could make travel very difficult or impossible in parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The eastern side of the storm could see rain or a wintry mix at times, which will affect snow totals.
Weekend temps
The average Twin Cities high temperature is 45 degrees on March 23. Metro area highs will be in the 30s this Saturday.
Saturday afternoon high temps will be in the 20s in most of northern and west-central Minnesota, with 30s elsewhere:
Sunday highs will be mainly in the 30s:
Parts of far northern Minnesota will have Sunday highs in the 20s.
Strong winds are expected on Sunday.
Drought update
The water content of the snow that’s in our forecast will reduce wildfire danger and will help recharge the soil moisture.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows drought conditions in 74.74 percent of Minnesota, including the entire Twin Cities metro area:
The areas that are shaded beige are in moderate drought, with severe drought depicted by the orange shades which include parts of northern Minnesota and far southeastern Minnesota. Areas that are shaded yellow are abnormally dry but not yet in drought.
Much of Iowa and Wisconsin area also in drought right now, with extreme drought (red) in a large portion of eastern Iowa:
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.