Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

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Get ready for a wet Wednesday for southern Minnesota.

Our inbound weather system brings rain — and probably some snow. The system looks warm enough to favor rain in most areas. But temperatures near freezing may produce some snow on the northern fringes of the rain shield.

Let’s break down the likely timing of precipitation Wednesday.

Rain showers may be mixed with snow as they move into southwest Minnesota Wednesday morning. NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution model paints precipitation in southwest Minnesota by 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. 

Most forecast models push precipitation into the Twin Cities area by the midday hours Wednesday. NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution model paints rain into the Twin Cities by 11 a.m. There’s also the notion of a narrow band of snow on the system’s northern edge that may creep into parts of the Twin Cities.

The air in the lowest mile of the atmosphere hovers near freezing Wednesday. That means snow may mix in or even become the predominant precipitation type at times. The most likely scenario is for a minor coating of slush around the Twin Cities. But a few models have been more aggressive with accumulations favoring the north metro area and points north of the Twin Cities. It’s going to be a close call for many areas.

This system likely delivers anywhere from .25 inch to .75 inch of liquid precipitation across southern Minnesota. Saturday likely brings another shot of rain. 

The forecast models are still pushing temperatures near the 60-degree mark next week.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The timing of rain and snow across Minnesota Wednesday favors a midday precipitation onset in the Twin Cities.

NOAA via tropical tidbits

Precipitation potential Wednesday and Saturday

Timing rain and snow areas Wednesday

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