Another wintry storm Friday

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Get ready for our next large and impactful winter storm.

A powerful arctic front will bring snowfall, high winds, and dangerously bitter wind chills to Minnesota starting Wednesday and lasting through Friday. This system will produce major travel impacts as we head into the peak of the holiday travel season.

 kicks in for much of Minnesota Wednesday morning. 

This system has the potential for heavy snowfall and high winds will create potential blizzard conditions.

The Twin Cities NWS Office isn’t pulling any punches in the watch wording text. You don’t see “difficult to impossible travel” and “life-threatening” wording text in every winter storm watch.

The snowfall associated with this weather system is triggered by an advancing arctic front. The low-pressure system will be in Wyoming on Tuesday morning, then track south of Minnesota into the Great Lakes by Friday. NOAA’s GFS picks up the general trend of an expanding snow shield across Minnesota and the Upper Midwest Wednesday into Friday.

Note the packed lines behind the low center? That’s a tight pressure gradient that will produce blizzard-force winds in excess of 40 to 50 mph Thursday and Friday.

Early forecast mode snowfall projections favor a wide zone of 5 to 10-inch snowfall potential. If current storm track forecasts hold, there could be a heavier band of snowfall up to or exceeding a foot. 

Some current models suggest that may lay out from near the greater Twin Cities into northern Wisconsin. But it should be noted that there are still major forecast model differences in snowfall coverage and amounts. It’s still too early for high confidence here.

That said, here’s what Monday’s 12Z Canadian model (Kuchera) snowfall output looks like.

All of the Upper Midwest will feel dangerously cold subzero wind chills later this week.

There’s still plenty of details that can change with snowfall totals in this system Let’s see what Tuesday’s forecast model runs bring. I would have a plan B for travel Wednesday through Friday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The next winter storm is headed for Minnesota on Wednesday.

Winter storm watch kicks in Wednesday; more snow and bitter cold ahead

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