Northern Minnesota is under a new alert until Friday at 7 p.m.

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Our early April storm system is still on track for Tuesday. The latest forecast model indications Monday afternoon are leaning toward more rain mixing in with snow in the Twin Cities Tuesday afternoon and evening. 

Our stronger April sun can penetrate snow systems and warm them a couple of critical degrees during the daytime. That can change snow to rain in the afternoon, and warm soggy thawed ground can limit how much snow actually sticks.

Throw in a warm layer above ground and you can get mixed precipitation types. I don't think we’ll see much ice Tuesday with temperatures at ground level above the freezing mark. 

So I expect a mix of rain and snow in the Twin Cities Tuesday afternoon into evening. But we could get a couple hours of heavy snow especially early Tuesday evening as the strongest system dynamics and lift pass overhead. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s updated NAM 3 km model Monday afternoon shows the trend toward a mix of rain as snow across the Twin Cities as precipitation phase changes occur.  The forecast model loop below runs between 7 a.m. Tuesday and 1 p.m. Wednesday. 

Winter storm watches remain in effect for most of Minnesota north and west of the Twin Cities.

The heaviest snowfall is likely to occur from west-central Minnesota to the North Shore:

The Twin Cities are is likely to get a couple slushy inches that will be washed away by rain through Wednesday. Expect wet roads and a potentially snowy commute Tuesday afternoon and evening.

Sunshine returns the rest of the week starting Thursday. Highs will be in the 50s in the south with 40s north.

Right now, this is the last significant snow system on the weather maps for Minnesota for the next 10 days. Could it be the last of the season?

Paul Huttner

Author

A potent storm system will push rain and snow into different parts of Minnesota Tuesday into Wednesday. 

Messy snow and rain event rolls into Minnesota Tuesday

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