Mild temps Sunday; winter storm watch northern MN Sunday night through Tuesday
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I hope that you have a happy 2017!
We'll start our year with mild high temperatures.
Southern Minnesota will see highs in the lower 30s New Year's Day, central and northern Minnesota will see mostly 20s:
Far northwestern Minnesota could see highs in the teens.
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Winter storm watch for northern Minnesota
A low pressure system moves out of the Rockies late Sunday, spreading snow northward.
Snow could begin in southwestern Minnesota late Sunday afternoon.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the expected snowfall pattern from 3 p.m. Sunday through Monday evening:
The color chart on the lower right of the loop refers to the strength of the radar signal returning to the radar, not inches of snow!
The snow will continue into Tuesday for much of northern and central Minnesota, and winds will pick up on Tuesday.
The Twin Cities metro area and southeastern Minnesota could see periods of snow Sunday night, then a mix of snow, drizzle and freezing drizzle Monday, followed by periods of snow Monday night into Tuesday.
The highest snow totals are expected over northern Minnesota, where a winter storm watch is in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Tuesday:
Here are some details of the winter storm watch, from the Grand Forks, ND office of the NWS:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
244 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2016
MNZ001>009-013>017-022>024-027>032-040-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-
026>030-038-039-049-052>054-022045-
/O.NEW.KFGF.WS.A.0005.170102T0000Z-170104T0000Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-KITTSON-ROSEAU-LAKE OF THE WOODS-
WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-NORTH BELTRAMI-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-MAHNOMEN-
SOUTH CLEARWATER-HUBBARD-WEST BECKER-EAST BECKER-WILKIN-
WEST OTTER TAIL-EAST OTTER TAIL-WADENA-GRANT-TOWNER-CAVALIER-
PEMBINA-BENSON-RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-
GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-TRAILL-BARNES-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
RICHLAND-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...ADA...
TWIN VALLEY...HALSTAD...MOORHEAD...HALLOCK...KARLSTAD...
LANCASTER...ROSEAU...WARROAD...GREENBUSH...BAUDETTE...WARREN...
STEPHEN...ARGYLE...NEWFOLDEN...MIDDLE RIVER...GRYGLA...RED LAKE...
REDBY...PONEMAH...THIEF RIVER FALLS...RED LAKE FALLS...FOSSTON...
FERTILE...MCINTOSH...ERSKINE...BAGLEY...CLEARBROOK...BEMIDJI...
MAHNOMEN...NAYTAHWAUSH...WAUBUN...ALIDA...EBRO...LAKE ITASCA...
LONG LOST LAKE...LOWER RICE LAKE...ROY LAKE...UPPER RICE LAKE...
PARK RAPIDS...DETROIT LAKES...WOLF LAKE...BRECKENRIDGE...
FERGUS FALLS...PERHAM...NEW YORK MILLS...PARKERS PRAIRIE...
HENNING...BATTLE LAKE...WADENA...MENAHGA...ELBOW LAKE...HOFFMAN...
ASHBY...HERMAN...BARRETT...CANDO...LANGDON...CAVALIER...
WALHALLA...DRAYTON...PEMBINA...NECHE...ST. THOMAS...FORT TOTTEN...
MADDOCK...LEEDS...MINNEWAUKAN...DEVILS LAKE...GRAFTON...
PARK RIVER...NEW ROCKFORD...LAKOTA...MCVILLE...ANETA...TOLNA...
GRAND FORKS...COOPERSTOWN...FINLEY...HOPE...MAYVILLE...
HILLSBORO...HATTON...PORTLAND...VALLEY CITY...FARGO...LISBON...
ENDERLIN...GWINNER...MILNOR...FORMAN...RUTLAND...WAHPETON...
EDINBURG...ADAMS...LANKIN
244 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2016
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
* TIMING...SNOW IS LIKELY OVER OUR REGION FROM SUNDAY EVENING
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE SNOW MAY BE CONCENTRATED IN TWO
PERIODS. ONE SUNDAY EVENING INTO EARLY MONDAY AND THEN THE OTHER
HEAVIER SNOW MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY TUESDAY.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR
MORE ARE POSSIBLE.
* WINDS / VISIBILITIES...WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 MPH COULD
CAUSE WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN
AREAS LATER MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY.
* WIND CHILL VALUES...EXPECT WIND CHILLS TO RANGE FROM 10 BELOW ZERO
TO 25 BELOW ZERO MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY.
* IMPACTS...PLAN ON DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
And details of the northeastern Minnesota portion of the winter storm watch, from the Duluth office of the NWS:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
455 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2016
...WINTER STORM ON TRACK TO IMPACT THE NORTHLAND SUNDAY NIGHT
INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...
.A STRONG WINTER STORM IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OUT OF THE
INTERMOUNTAIN WEST AND MOVE INTO THE REGION SUNDAY NIGHT...
LASTING THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY. THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE HEAVY
SNOWFALL...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A WINTRY MIX ACROSS
NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN MONDAY NIGHT.
AS THE SYSTEM DEPARTS LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...GUSTY
NORTHWEST WINDS BETWEEN 20 AND 25 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP...
WHICH COULD LEAD TO BLOWING SNOW ACROSS THE AREA. THIS STORM IS
EXPECTED TO IMPACT TRAVEL CONDITIONS FOR LATE NEW YEARS DAY
THROUGH TUESDAY. IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON TRAVELING FOR THE
HOLIDAY...BE SURE TO PREPARE FOR SLICK AND HAZARDOUS ROAD
CONDITIONS...AS WELL AS REDUCED VISIBILITIES FROM BLOWING SNOW.
BRING A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT AND ALSO A CELL PHONE IF YOU HAVE
ONE. ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION...AS WELL AS
ALLOW EXTRA SPACE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER TRAFFIC.
MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>037-010900-
/O.CON.KDLH.WS.A.0007.170102T0000Z-170104T0000Z/
KOOCHICHING-NORTH ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-
NORTH ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTHERN LAKE/NORTH SHORE-
SOUTHERN COOK/NORTH SHORE-NORTH CASS-SOUTH ITASCA-SOUTH CASS-
CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-SOUTH AITKIN-CARLTON/SOUTH ST. LOUIS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INTERNATIONAL FALLS...ELY...ISABELLA...
BIGFORK...HIBBING...TWO HARBORS...SILVER BAY...GRAND MARAIS...
WALKER...GRAND RAPIDS...PINE RIVER...BRAINERD...HILL CITY...
AITKIN...DULUTH
455 PM CST SAT DEC 31 2016
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING
THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON...
* LOCATIONS...INTERNATIONAL FALLS...BIGFORK...WALKER...GRAND
RAPIDS...BRAINERD...AITKIN...DULUTH...ELY...ISABELLA...
HIBBING... TWO HARBORS...SILVER BAY...GRAND MARAIS.
* TIMING...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...POTENTIAL FOR 6 TO 12 INCHES.
* WINDS...BECOMING NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH ON TUESDAY...WITH GUSTS
UP TO 25 MPH.
* VISIBILITIES...AS LOW AS ONE HALF OF A MILE.
* WIND CHILL VALUES...PLUMMETING TO 10 TO 20 BELOW ZERO TUESDAY
AFTERNOON.
* IMPACTS...THE HEAVY SNOW WILL MAKE MANY ROADS HAZARDOUS OR
IMPASSABLE. THE COLD WIND CHILLS WILL CAUSE FROSTBITE IN AS
LITTLE AS 30 MINUTES TO EXPOSED SKIN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
You can check with the Duluth office and the Grand Forks, ND office of the National Weather Service for updates as the snow develops, and updated weather information is also posted here and on the MPR news live weather blog.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation will have current road conditions.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.
