Milder temps this afternoon; snow shower and rain shower chances for some areas

Highs in the 40s return to central and southern Minnesota plus western Wisconsin Sunday afternoon:

Most of northern Minnesota will top out in the 30s.

Sunday afternoon wind chills will be mainly in the 20s north, with 30s central and south:

Snow and rain chances

Much of northern Minnesota and parts of northwestern Wisconsin will have periods snow this Sunday morning, followed by a rain/snow mix. Central Minnesota will have a chance of rain showers and snow showers, A few spotty flurries and sprinkles are possible in the south. The Twin Cities metro area could see a snow shower/flurry and possibly a bit of drizzle this Sunday morning, followed by a chance of sprinkles later in the day.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern this Sunday and Sunday evening:

Parts of northeastern Minnesota will see over one inch of additional snow, with 2 to 4 inches possible near Lake Superior:

A winter weather advisory is in effect today and this evening for southern Cook county:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Duluth MN 312 AM CDT Sun Mar 22 2020 ...ACCUMULATING SNOW EXPECTED FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTH SHORE TODAY... .Chances of accumulating snow will increase today over much of the Northland. Most locations will only see up to an inch, with the exception of portions of the North Shore of Lake Superior, where between 3 to 5 inches of snow will be possible through the evening hours tonight. The heaviest amounts are expected over southern Cook county, where some locally heavier amounts are possible. MNZ021-222015- /O.NEW.KDLH.WW.Y.0011.200322T1500Z-200323T0900Z/ Southern Cook- Including the city of Grand Marais 312 AM CDT Sun Mar 22 2020 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. Some locally heavier snow amounts are possible over southern Cook county. * WHERE...Southern Cook County. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Grand Portage Reservation. * WHEN...From 10 AM this morning to 4 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions, especially for the afternoon and evening today. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Road conditions can also be found at 511mn.org for Minnesota or 511wi.gov for Wisconsin.

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

Snow depths

There’s little or no snow cover right now across the southern half of Minnesota, but there’s still substantial snow cover in parts of northern Minnesota.

Here’s the latest snow depth map, courtesy of the Minnesota State Climatology Office and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources:

Much of northeastern Minnesota has 18 inches or more of snow cover, and portions of Lake and Cook counties of northeastern Minnesota have snow depths of 30 inches or more. The snow cover is expected to shrink a bit this coming week, as warmer temps arrive.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.