Mix to snow overnight, better travel late Wednesday

California Dreamin'?

As expected our second real winter weather event of the season has delivered just about everything. Chilly rain singing in the downspouts. Sleet pinging off your windows. Sloppy snow bursts. Ice and slush underfoot.

Precipitation across Minnesota changed phase several times Tuesday as expected as temperatures waffled a couple degrees either side of freezing in the lowest mile of the atmosphere. A mutating warm layer of air aloft provided our variety of wintry precip types in the past 12 hours.

Tuesday was the kind of day many of you tell me you'd rather see all snow rather than the messy wintry mix. I too love winter in Minnesota. But for some reason in the deep layered November grayness this classic song fades into my head. Alas, I digress.

Mix to snow into early Wednesday

Mixed phase precip has been slow to change to all snow across southern Minnesota. That should change tonight in theory as temps fall that critical 1 to 2 degrees. The heaviest snows bracket the hours around midnight according to most of the forecast model guidance. NOAA's GFS model tracks the trends. Mixed precip to snow in the Twin Cities overnight. Precip ends from west to east across Minnesota Wednesday.

Wet sloppy snowfall overnight should pile up a few slushy inches from the Twin Cities north through St. Cloud and Duluth. Not a big deal as Minnesota winter storms go, but enough to change the look of your landscape Wednesday.

Treated roads and sidewalks should remain mostly wet. But watch out for icy conditions on your untreated driveway and moving around on foot Wednesday morning. Ask any doctor, the ER gets busy when things get icy underfoot. Don't be that guy.

Thanksgiving looks better for travel. The next shot of light snow arrives Thanksgiving night into early Black Friday morning.