Friday snow update; weekend weather looks good, but winds pick up on Sunday

We have your weekend forecast, but I’ll start with an update on our Friday weather.

Snow will continue to spread across much of Minnesota this Friday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern Friday afternoon and evening:

Forecast snow amounts are highest in southwestern Minnesota:

A winter weather advisory continues until 6 p.m. this Friday across much of southwestern Minnesota:

This note from the National Weather Service:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 1043 AM CST Fri Jan 3 2020 ...QUICK HITTING BURST OF HEAVY SNOW IMPACT SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON... .A winter weather advisory for snow has been issued through 6 pm this evening for Redwood, Brown, Watonwan, and Martin counties in Minnesota. A fast moving burst of heavy snow is expected to move across southwest Minnesota this afternoon. Snowfall rates in excess of 1 inch per hour will be possible at times, with total snowfall amounts between 2 and 4 inches. Isolated amounts near 5 inches will be possible. The heaviest snow is expected to fall along and west of a line from Wabasso to St. James and Fairmont.

Details of the Redwood Falls portion of the advisory:

Redwood-Brown-Watonwan- Including the cities of Redwood Falls, New Ulm, and St James 1043 AM CST Fri Jan 3 2020 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Snow. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches. * WHERE...Brown, Redwood and Watonwan Counties. * WHEN...Until 6 PM CST this evening. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the evening commute. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

The Twin Cities metro area will see periods of snow this Friday afternoon with a wintry mix possible at times. some roads in the metro area may become slick.

You can hear updated weather information on the MPR network, and you’ll see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.

Weekend temperatures

Our average Twin Cities high temp is 24 degrees this time of year. We’ll see highs in the 20s on Saturday in the metro area and across much of Minnesota plus western Wisconsin:

Southwestern Minnesota will see some lower 30s.

Saturday afternoon wind chill temps are expected to be in the teens:

That’s reasonable for January in Minnesota.

Sunday highs reach the 30s in many areas, with 20s in far northern Minnesota:

The winds will pick up Sunday afternoon, giving us wind chill temps in the teens and 20s:

Sunday snow chances

Northern Minnesota has the best chance of snow showers on Sunday, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a morning snow flurry in the Twin Cities.

NOAA’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern on Sunday:

Snow depths

We looked at a regional map of snow cover in Thursday’s Updraft post. Now, we have a detailed Minnesota snow depth map, courtesy of the Minnesota State Climatology Office and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:

Snow depths range from two inches or less in far southern Minnesota to 18 to 24 inches across a wide swath of northern Minnesota. It looks there’s even a tiny spot of 24 to 30 inches in northeastern Minnesota.

Most of Minnesota has plenty of snow on the ground for cross-country skiers, sledders and snowboarders. There’s enough snow cover for snowmobiling in much of central and northern Minnesota.

Outdoor events

Explore Minnesota has a list of many events around the state of Minnesota this weekend. One outdoor activity that might be of interest is the Candlelight hike in Little Falls. The event web site has this description:

Spend an evening exploring the trails by candlelight in this annual hike, connecting the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum and the Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum. Guests can drop in at any time during the event and hike whatever distance is comfortable. Snowshoes are welcome if conditions allow.

Both museums will be open with free admission for guests to warm up and grab refreshments. This program is weather-dependent.

The weather for the 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. event in Little Falls this Saturday looks good, with temps in the lower 20s and light winds.

I hope that you have a great weekend!