Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Season's first snowflakes in the Twin Cities Friday morning?

Snowy accumulations possible in northern MInnesota.

NOAA NAM 3 km model
NOAA NAM 3 km model between 10 pm Thursday and 8 am Friday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

The first snowflakes of the season could fly in much of Minnesota Friday morning. And the Twin Cities could wake up to snow showers Friday morning.

1130-mn1
Sloppy snowflakes from a previous season on the MNDOT cam on Highway 5 in the southwest metro.
MNDOT

A low-pressure system spinning southeast from Canada looks cold enough to produce the season’s first snowflakes for much of our state. Accumulating snow looks quite possible up north.

Snow crystal stellar dendrite
A stellar dendrite. Image courtesy of snowcrystals.com
Huttner, Paul

Multiple forecast models suggest bands of snow showers swirling southeast around the low-pressure system Friday morning. NOAA’s NAM 3 km model is one that drives bands of snow showers as far south as the greater Twin Cities area Friday morning.

NOAA NAM 3 km model
NOAA NAM 3 km model between 10 pm Thursday and 8 am Friday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Several hours of snow showers look likely to produce some accumulating snow in much of northern Minnesota. Most forecast models suggest a range of 1 to 3 inches up north. But I think there could be some pockets locally above 3 inches.

Some models suggest a coating as far south as the northeast Twin Cities.

Here’s NOAA’s NAM 3 km model snowfall output into Saturday morning.

NOAA NAM 3 km model snowfall output
NOAA NAM 3 km model snowfall output.
NOAA via pivotal weather

Air temperatures will be near or below freezing Friday morning across most of Minnesota.

Forecast temperatures
Forecast temperatures Friday morning.
NOAA

Slick roads could be an issue up north. The ground near the Twin Cities is relatively warm, but I can rule out some slick spots, especially in the north and eastern Twin Cities.

Don’t be surprised to see the season’s first snowflakes for much of Minnesota from the Twin Cities northward Friday morning!