After another storm this week, severe winds, flooding on the horizon
Roads and highways were left impassable by blizzard conditions late Tuesday in Polk County, Minn. A no-travel advisory was in effect overnight.
Courtesy Polk County Sheriff's Office
Another storm dropped rain, snow, and everything in-between around the state this week. And it has been gusty, with some communities up north seeing extreme winds overnight. Paul Huttner, MPR's Chief Meteorologist joined MPR News host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the latest warnings, how hard the wind will blow, and incoming flood risks.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast. When ready they will appear here.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Audio transcript
CATHY WURZER: Well, we are still in the midst of another storm, of course, northern Minnesota is getting pounded by ice and snow as I mentioned before the newscast. It's been gusty. Those winds have been howling in some communities up to 70 miles an hour. Weather is rarely boring in Minnesota, you know that. And for sure who better to talk about it than Paul Huttner, MPR's chief meteorologist. Hey, Paul. How are you doing?
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, I'm hanging in there, Cathy. I'm hopeful because I really think it looks like this might be the last big wintry storm for at least a week. And if we get that far, it could even be the last one of the season. Fingers crossed on that.
CATHY WURZER: You made me worry for just a moment. You said, could be--
[LAUGHTER]
I'm hoping it's the last one of the season, let's put it that way. So--
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: This mess up North, you got a little bit of everything up there but the kitchen sink.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, absolutely. Some good news less color on the weather map today, the blizzard warnings have been dropped for the Red River Valley for all of Northwest Minnesota. So no blizzard warnings in effect now for Minnesota. And the winter storm warnings have been dropped too. So winter weather advisories now for much of Northern Minnesota they do not include the North Shore anymore, which is good, and that's until 7:00 AM Thursday.
But we've had some impressive snowfall totals up North, and also reporting brown snow up North, Cathy. That's dust that's been picked up from even northern Mexico and the White Sands area in New Mexico. And the jet stream it just shot that right into Minnesota through this storm system. So they're seeing some brown snow in spots up North.
Here are some quick totals. Thief River Falls has had 12 inches of snow. Roseau 11. Fargo around eight. Argyle in Marshall County around 10. Silver Bay about six. Same in Hovland, a little East of Grand Marais. So the snowfall has been prolific. But also a lot of ice. Grand Rapids a 1/4 inch of ice. Finlayson along I-35 South of Duluth about 3/10.
And you mentioned the wind, which is just crazy. They had a gust to 68 in Hermantown. And a gust of 70 in Duluth last night around 10:32. Twin Cities were gusting to 43 miles an hour right now, and those gusts in the 40s will last through the rest of the day across Southern Minnesota. There's not much wind around northern Minnesota right now because the center of that low is swirling right around Ely so quieter winds. But those winds will pick up again later today.
And as you mentioned still snowing up North, still a few more inches before it winds down later. And one quick thing, I know I'm going on here. But the ice saved the shore from a flood, it looks like. On Lake Superior those big chunks of ice that ice wall muted the waves as it came in. So Duluth National Weather Service saying that all those chunks of ice that extended several yards out from shore may have helped mitigate some of the Lakeshore flooding.
CATHY WURZER: I see for the afternoon here they closed the pedestrian walkways around the area lift bridge because of ice falling from the bridge. And it was a bit of a mess around Canal Park. I'm curious because of the wild variety of precipitation in this storm system. I mean, seriously it had almost everything. What was behind that?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it's basically it's spring and fall. And you're right, this was unusual because we had just about everything yesterday. We had snow, we had ice, we had rain, we had thunder, we had hail, in Minnesota. And it's because of the extreme temperature contrast across this big storm. Now spring and fall eventually that contrast drives storm intensity. And you have a warm sector in the storm that's on the Southern end, and then the cold sector on the northern end.
So we're still dealing with wintry temperatures in the North. In fact, it was 19 in Grand Marais yesterday. It was 91 in Fall City, Nebraska across the other side of the storm. So that's a 72 degree temperature contrast. And Minnesota's a tall state. It's 407 miles from the Northwest angle way up North to the Iowa border. So these spring and fall storms can really put these huge clash of air masses right over Minnesota where it's summery South, wintry North, Minnesota is just ground zero for this in spring and fall.
CATHY WURZER: So our friends in the Red River Valley got significant snow, obviously. And I know they're a little worried about flooding in the Red River Valley because the snowpack was already decent and this snow was moisture laden. So what's the outlook, do you think, for flooding in that area.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah. It's bad like it is everywhere else in Minnesota. I'm also particularly concerned about the Saint Croix in Stillwater, and to some degree in the Twin Cities with the Mississippi River. It's going to be a while before the Red really starts rising, because they've still been so cold, Cathy. But that process is going to continue as we head into next week because we're going to warm up quickly.
So Red River Valley, really the major Rivers in Minnesota, are going to start rising quickly next week because we're going to warm up pretty quickly. And it looks like pretty much statewide. Not as much in the North but hey, we're looking at 60s in the South and the Twin Cities this weekend.
CATHY WURZER: What? No.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: Really?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah. Yeah. And most of the models now are in agreement that we're going to see 70 in the Twin Cities probably Monday, Tuesday, next week. The European model was printing out 80 yesterday, it's down to 75 today for next Tuesday. NOAA's American GFS model also well into the mid 70s. So we'll see if we get there. I think it's looking more likely that we will next week. Spring is finally on the way, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah, but 0 to 60. I mean, you know what I'm saying. It was like--
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: Winter then you blink and then it's almost summer with temperatures around 75, I guess. Is that a signature of climate change? The wild swing.
PAUL HUTTNER: I don't think that one is as much as a signature of the season. We had this winter that hung on so dramatically. I remember we talked about this before that, you know how this ends, right. It's snow, snow cold, cold and then bam it's in the 70s here. That's just the jet stream changing, and it's going to happen fast, and it can do it this time of year as we head through April.
CATHY WURZER: So before you go, what's on Climate Cast this week?
PAUL HUTTNER: I talked to John Abraham from the University of Saint Thomas about Cathy, what is the true cost of wind and renewable energy versus fossil fuels? How do we calculate that? How do we calculate the cost of fossil fuels. What it's costing us, what it's costing society versus renewable energy and the clean energy transition. So we had a great conversation. John Abraham as you know with the University of Saint Thomas is fantastic. And we will air that on Climate Cast Thursday afternoon.
CATHY WURZER: All right. We appreciate you. Thank you so much. Talk to you later.
PAUL HUTTNER: You too. Thank you, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Paul Huttner is MPR's chief meteorologist. And of course, for updated weather forecasts, and all the snowfall totals, and just whatever's happening right now in the weather, you can check out the updraft blog. You can find that at mprnews.org.
PAUL HUTTNER: Hey, I'm hanging in there, Cathy. I'm hopeful because I really think it looks like this might be the last big wintry storm for at least a week. And if we get that far, it could even be the last one of the season. Fingers crossed on that.
CATHY WURZER: You made me worry for just a moment. You said, could be--
[LAUGHTER]
I'm hoping it's the last one of the season, let's put it that way. So--
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: This mess up North, you got a little bit of everything up there but the kitchen sink.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, absolutely. Some good news less color on the weather map today, the blizzard warnings have been dropped for the Red River Valley for all of Northwest Minnesota. So no blizzard warnings in effect now for Minnesota. And the winter storm warnings have been dropped too. So winter weather advisories now for much of Northern Minnesota they do not include the North Shore anymore, which is good, and that's until 7:00 AM Thursday.
But we've had some impressive snowfall totals up North, and also reporting brown snow up North, Cathy. That's dust that's been picked up from even northern Mexico and the White Sands area in New Mexico. And the jet stream it just shot that right into Minnesota through this storm system. So they're seeing some brown snow in spots up North.
Here are some quick totals. Thief River Falls has had 12 inches of snow. Roseau 11. Fargo around eight. Argyle in Marshall County around 10. Silver Bay about six. Same in Hovland, a little East of Grand Marais. So the snowfall has been prolific. But also a lot of ice. Grand Rapids a 1/4 inch of ice. Finlayson along I-35 South of Duluth about 3/10.
And you mentioned the wind, which is just crazy. They had a gust to 68 in Hermantown. And a gust of 70 in Duluth last night around 10:32. Twin Cities were gusting to 43 miles an hour right now, and those gusts in the 40s will last through the rest of the day across Southern Minnesota. There's not much wind around northern Minnesota right now because the center of that low is swirling right around Ely so quieter winds. But those winds will pick up again later today.
And as you mentioned still snowing up North, still a few more inches before it winds down later. And one quick thing, I know I'm going on here. But the ice saved the shore from a flood, it looks like. On Lake Superior those big chunks of ice that ice wall muted the waves as it came in. So Duluth National Weather Service saying that all those chunks of ice that extended several yards out from shore may have helped mitigate some of the Lakeshore flooding.
CATHY WURZER: I see for the afternoon here they closed the pedestrian walkways around the area lift bridge because of ice falling from the bridge. And it was a bit of a mess around Canal Park. I'm curious because of the wild variety of precipitation in this storm system. I mean, seriously it had almost everything. What was behind that?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah, it's basically it's spring and fall. And you're right, this was unusual because we had just about everything yesterday. We had snow, we had ice, we had rain, we had thunder, we had hail, in Minnesota. And it's because of the extreme temperature contrast across this big storm. Now spring and fall eventually that contrast drives storm intensity. And you have a warm sector in the storm that's on the Southern end, and then the cold sector on the northern end.
So we're still dealing with wintry temperatures in the North. In fact, it was 19 in Grand Marais yesterday. It was 91 in Fall City, Nebraska across the other side of the storm. So that's a 72 degree temperature contrast. And Minnesota's a tall state. It's 407 miles from the Northwest angle way up North to the Iowa border. So these spring and fall storms can really put these huge clash of air masses right over Minnesota where it's summery South, wintry North, Minnesota is just ground zero for this in spring and fall.
CATHY WURZER: So our friends in the Red River Valley got significant snow, obviously. And I know they're a little worried about flooding in the Red River Valley because the snowpack was already decent and this snow was moisture laden. So what's the outlook, do you think, for flooding in that area.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah. It's bad like it is everywhere else in Minnesota. I'm also particularly concerned about the Saint Croix in Stillwater, and to some degree in the Twin Cities with the Mississippi River. It's going to be a while before the Red really starts rising, because they've still been so cold, Cathy. But that process is going to continue as we head into next week because we're going to warm up quickly.
So Red River Valley, really the major Rivers in Minnesota, are going to start rising quickly next week because we're going to warm up pretty quickly. And it looks like pretty much statewide. Not as much in the North but hey, we're looking at 60s in the South and the Twin Cities this weekend.
CATHY WURZER: What? No.
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: Really?
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah. Yeah. And most of the models now are in agreement that we're going to see 70 in the Twin Cities probably Monday, Tuesday, next week. The European model was printing out 80 yesterday, it's down to 75 today for next Tuesday. NOAA's American GFS model also well into the mid 70s. So we'll see if we get there. I think it's looking more likely that we will next week. Spring is finally on the way, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Yeah, but 0 to 60. I mean, you know what I'm saying. It was like--
PAUL HUTTNER: Yeah.
CATHY WURZER: Winter then you blink and then it's almost summer with temperatures around 75, I guess. Is that a signature of climate change? The wild swing.
PAUL HUTTNER: I don't think that one is as much as a signature of the season. We had this winter that hung on so dramatically. I remember we talked about this before that, you know how this ends, right. It's snow, snow cold, cold and then bam it's in the 70s here. That's just the jet stream changing, and it's going to happen fast, and it can do it this time of year as we head through April.
CATHY WURZER: So before you go, what's on Climate Cast this week?
PAUL HUTTNER: I talked to John Abraham from the University of Saint Thomas about Cathy, what is the true cost of wind and renewable energy versus fossil fuels? How do we calculate that? How do we calculate the cost of fossil fuels. What it's costing us, what it's costing society versus renewable energy and the clean energy transition. So we had a great conversation. John Abraham as you know with the University of Saint Thomas is fantastic. And we will air that on Climate Cast Thursday afternoon.
CATHY WURZER: All right. We appreciate you. Thank you so much. Talk to you later.
PAUL HUTTNER: You too. Thank you, Cathy.
CATHY WURZER: Paul Huttner is MPR's chief meteorologist. And of course, for updated weather forecasts, and all the snowfall totals, and just whatever's happening right now in the weather, you can check out the updraft blog. You can find that at mprnews.org.
Download transcript (PDF)
Transcription services provided by 3Play Media.