Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Thursday clipper likely to deliver plowable snowfall accumulations

Rush hours Thursday could feature slick roads

snowfall potential
Snowfall potential Thursday
Twin Cities National Weather Service office

Our next weather system is on the maps and sailing toward Minnesota on Thursday.

We catch a break on Wednesday with mixed sun and highs in the teens north and 20s south.

Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
Forecast high temperatures Wednesday
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Thursday’s system looks more potent than our light Tuesday snow maker. The system will spin southeast through Minnesota from the wee hours of Thursday morning into the evening.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model is typical of most models in timing and coverage Thursday. The forecast model loop below runs between midnight and 6 p.m. Thursday.

NOAA NAM 3 km model 2
North American Mesoscale 3 km model between midnight and 6 p.m. Thursday
NOAA via tropical tidbits

This system looks like an efficient snowfall producer. It will be drier snow, probably with snow-to-water ratios between 15 and 20 to 1.

Forecast models continue to crank out impressive snowfall amounts between 3 and 7 inches with some locally higher totals.

NOAA GFS snowfall output 2
Global Forecast System snowfall output Through Friday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

Expect slick roads on Thursday if our system stays on track.

We’ll watch Wednesday’s forecast model runs for any possible changes. Any shift in storm track north or south could impact projected snowfall totals.

Stay tuned.