As one system moves out, a more potent storm approaches for the weekend

A departing system is still causing snow and slick roads for northern Minnesota Thursday morning, but the next storm is poised to impact the entire state.

Thursday’s weather

There are reduced visibilities in northern Minnesota Thursday morning. Along the North Shore, it is fog, which will continue to lighten through the morning. For other areas, reduced visibility is due to snow, which will clear from south to north through the morning, finally ending around the Canadian border later this afternoon. Most of the snow will total 0 to 4 inches by the time it ends.

Here are the snow reports as of 9 a.m. Thursday:

There is also still some drizzle and light rain mixing in, especially in northeastern Minnesota, and many areas saw light freezing precipitation overnight Wednesday, so watch for slick spots on the roads.

Here the expected forecast by 1 p.m. Thursday:

Temperatures stay above average for all of Minnesota, with most of western Minnesota reaching highs in the mid to upper 20s and eastern Minnesota in the low to mid-30s.

Many places will see temperatures remain nearly steady or even drop slightly into the afternoon.

A brief break

By Friday, everything is cleared out and sunshine returns across the state. Temperatures dip slightly Friday, to the 20s and low 30s for highs, which keeps the state slightly above average. Already by Friday evening, more clouds roll in in advance of a weekend snowstorm.

Weekend storm

A strong winter storm will impact Minnesota over the weekend. Overnight Friday, snow will start to move across the state from south to north. As the system moves in, enough mild air will accompany it to switch some of the precipitation over to a wintry mix of sleet, freezing rain and rain, in addition to the snow.

This system will have a lot of moisture with it, so northern parts of Minnesota where it is likely to stay mostly snow could see some reports of 6 inches or more from Saturday through Sunday.

Southern portions of the state, including the Twin Cities, will likely also see some accumulation, but there is a lot of uncertainty as to how much will fall as rain versus snow. Temperature models for the Twin Cities on Sunday currently have forecast highs varying from the mid-30s to mid-40s, which would a make big difference in precipitation type and duration. As the system gets closer and temperatures become more certain, we will have a better idea of the expected snow totals.

Sunday will also be windy, which means blowing snow could be a concern.

Be prepared for this storm to impact travel over the weekend.

Enough cold air moves in behind the system that it is likely all the precipitation switches back to just snow by Sunday night. We will likely see some lingering light snow on Monday as the storm departs.

Behind the storm, temperatures will be colder Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the teens and 20s.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:48 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.