Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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It’s a tale of two forecasts for Minnesota Saturday. 

It will be a snowy Saturday up north. A low-pressure system crosses central Minnesota Saturday. To the north of the low, snow will come down most of the day. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model is similar to most others and lays down a swath of snow across northern Minnesota for most of Saturday. The loop below runs between 6 a.m. Saturday and midnight Sunday.

The heaviest snowfall will be closer to the Canadian border, where several inches of plowable snow will fall. Most forecast models crank out a 3- to 6-inch snowfall zone across the north.

Localized lake-enhanced snowfall could produce snowfall totals in excess of 6 inches along the North Shore ridges. A zone of 1 to 3 inches is more likely along a Fargo, N.D., to Brainerd to Hinckley zone. 

South of Saturday’s low-pressure track, a stiff southerly wind will eventually blow in milder air late Saturday afternoon. Highs will reach the 30s in southwest Minnesota, with 20s into the Twin Cities. 

Check out the 47-degree high forecast for Sioux Falls, S.D., Saturday afternoon. Locations like Luverne in extreme southwestern Minnesota could hit 40 degrees Saturday. 

The forecast models all agree that a thaw is likely by Tuesday across most of Minnesota. Highs around 40 degrees look increasingly likely as far north as the Twin Cities, with above freezing temperatures well north into northern Minnesota. 

But forecast models differ on the duration of the thaw next week. Most models suggest temperatures will be several degrees cooler by next Wednesday.

NOAA’s GFS model brings cooler air with highs back into the 20s by later next week. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model keeps high above freezing for the Twin Cities for most of next week. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Several inches of snow for northern Minnesota Saturday. 

It’s a tale of two forecasts for Minnesota Saturday. It will be a snowy Saturday up north. A low-pressure system crosses central Minnesota Saturday. To the north of the low, snow will come down most of the day.

Plowable snow up north Saturday, 40 next week for Twin Cities?

Snowfall forecast for northern Minnesota 

Plowable snow up north Saturday, 40 next week for Twin Cities?

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