Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Saturday snow: 5-10 inches likely across central Minnesota, Twin Cities

Snow advisories overnight into Thursday for northern Minnesota

Snowfall projection
Snowfall projection through Saturday
Twin Cities National Weather Service office

The latest: Get the most up-to-date snow forecast from MPR News’ Updraft.

It could be the biggest snowfall so far this winter for the Twin Cities. Forecast models continue to crank up a major winter storm for much of Minnesota on Saturday.

The Canadian model is typical of other forecast model solutions that drag an extensive snow shield across central and southern Minnesota on Saturday. The loop below runs between 12:01 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday.

Canadian model
Canadian GEM model Saturday from 12:01 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Environment Canada, via Tropical Tidbits

You can see on the snowfall map at the top of this post that a wide band of around 5 to 10 inches is likely for much of central Minnesota, including the greater Twin Cities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model agrees:

NOAA GFS snowfall output 2
Global Forecast System snowfall output through Sunday morning
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

The biggest snowfall at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport so far this winter season was 5.5 inches on Dec. 19. If forecast models stay on the current track, we have a chance to exceed 6 inches in the Twin Cities.

Let’s see if any changes occur on Thursday’s model runs.

Winter weather advisories overnight up north

The first of our two snow systems is dumping snow across much of northern and central Minnesota overnight into Thursday morning.

A winter storm warning includes Cook County on the North Shore:

Including the cities of Grand Marais

223 PM CST Wed Feb 5 2025

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST THURSDAY... * WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 5 and 9 inches.

* WHERE...Southern Cook County. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Grand Portage Reservation.

* WHEN...From 9 PM this evening to 6 AM CST Thursday.

* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commute.

Winter weather advisories cover most of northern Minnesota. A wide zone of 2 to more than 6 inches of snow is likely from the Red River Valley through the North Shore.

Snowfall projection for northeast Minnesota 2
Snowfall projection for northeastern Minnesota
Duluth National Weather Service office

The snow machine is finally cranking up across Minnesota as we move into late winter.