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

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It was another glorious early spring day in Minnesota Tuesday. 

This (early) spring in Minnesota continues to feature milder than average air masses. Minnesota is riding the northern edge of unseasonably warm air across the central and high Plains this spring. Highs reached the 50s all the way north to the Canadian border Wednesday afternoon.

It looks like the Twin Cities will finish this month 5 degrees warmer than average. Last March was 4.3 degrees colder than average — with 10.5 inches of snow.

Our next weather system takes its sweet time. Wednesday and maybe most of Thursday will actually turn out pretty decent across southeastern Minnesota. It will be breezy, but highs still make the 50s in the Twin Cities. Highs reach the 60s in southwest Minnesota Thursday afternoon.

Showers will be spotty Wednesday and mainly focus on areas north and west of the Twin Cities Thursday. The bulk of the rain, and the transition to some snow happens Thursday night and Friday.

NOAA’s NAM 3 km resolution model captures the essence of just spotty showers, then the transition to snow later Thursday into Friday.

Most models favor another inch of liquid precipitation equivalent — rain and snow — with this system by later Friday. The heaviest totals favor the northwest half of Minnesota.

The weekend looks chill but sunny. Warmer air pushes in starting Monday. Highs in the 60s Monday could push to near 70 degrees in parts of southern Minnesota by Tuesday.

Spring still seems determined to take hold early this year.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

A slow-moving weather system edges into Minnesota the next three days.

NOAA

NOAA NAM 3 km model Wednesday into Friday

NOAA via tropical tidbits

European model (ECMWF) precipitation output

Rain and some snow ahead; upper 60s next week?

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