Cooler but still well above normal this week

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Forecast models are still on track to deliver expanding snowfall coverage across Minnesota overnight and Thursday. The primary forecast details in the post below are still on track.

Expect rush hours and travel conditions Thursday to be challenging across most of Minnesota. 

Here are some updated snowfall totals as of early evening Wednesday.

Our massive winter storm is still swirling around the Upper Midwest. The precipitation plume with this system wraps around the low-pressure center from Denver through the Dakotas, northern Minnesota, and Wisconsin all the way south to the Gulf of Mexico Wednesday. The precipitation plume stretches about 2,500 miles!

Snow is piling up Wednesday along the North Shore. Intense snowfall plumes are dumping snowfall rates of 1 to as high as 3 inches per hour.

And check out this great little thunder snow burst from Duluth:

As of this post over a foot of snow has already fallen 7 miles northwest of Two Harbors.

Snowfall totals are climbing fast along the North Shore. Here are some more select snowfall totals as of Wednesday afternoon, in inches:

The low-pressure system will slide east into Wisconsin overnight then still Thursday. Another moisture plume will wrap around the system, expanding snowfall coverage across most of Minnesota overnight into Thursday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model captures the spinning low and snow plumes wrapping around the system between 6 p.m. Wednesday and 6 a.m. Friday:

The stalling storm and long snowfall duration will produce hefty snowfall totals across most of Minnesota by Friday. The Twin Cities could easily pick up an additional 4 to 8 inches by Friday. A foot may fall across parts of northern Minnesota. 

And the North Shore snowfall totals still have the capacity to produce additional feet of snow. I will not be surprised to see total snowfall over 3 feet along parts of the North Shore from this storm.

Keep track of the latest and frequently changing winter warnings and advisories with these National Weather Service office websites:

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Our massive, slow-moving storm brings yet another phase of intense wintry weather.

Second snow wave set to whack Minnesota Wednesday into Thursday

Go Deeper.

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