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

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Another week, another major storm system for Minnesota.

This one will be a few degrees warmer for southern Minnesota. That little bit of temperature change will mean a world of difference in precipitation type as mostly rain will fall from the Twin Cities south and eastward. 

To the north, an icy mix for much of central and northeastern Minnesota, and heavy snow and high winds in the far north and northwest. 

Let’s break down the next storm rolling in Tuesday through Wednesday.

The next low-pressure system will track from eastern Colorado Tuesday morning to near the Twin Cities by Wednesday morning then head for Lake Superior. 

That storm track is farther north than the past few systems. That means the Twin Cities will be closer to the center of the low and closer to the warmer southeast quadrant of the storm. The result will produce mostly rain from the Twin Cities south and east. 

The Canadian model is similar to many solutions that produce an icy mix across central and northeastern Minnesota, with persistent heavy snow in northwest and north-central Minnesota. 

 are up for most of eastern North Dakota and a chunk of northwestern Minnesota, including the Red River Valley. 

 currently include Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, and Bemidji. 

The heaviest snowfall totals with this system favor the Red River Valley and northwestern Minnesota. This system will produce moderate to heavy snowfall rates for a longer time period most of Tuesday and Wednesday. 

That will add up to snowfall in the range of 1 to possibly 2 feet at the highest end in northwest Minnesota. 

Lower snowfall totals between about 4 and 10 inches are likely north of a line from Alexandria through Brainerd. The Twin Cities will likely pick up very little snow with this system.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s current statewide snowfall projection seems pretty reasonable given current forecast model trends. 

A more springlike air mass will blow in this weekend after the storm. High temperatures around 60 degrees look quite possible from the Twin Cities southward this weekend, with 40s and 50s to the north.

See the 70s in Iowa? A few models are hinting at even warmer air next week. It remains to be seen just how warm we can get next week. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Yet another storm system blows into Minnesota Tuesday. This one will be warmer for the Twin Cities. 

Blizzard warning Tuesday for NW Minnesota; mostly rain for Twin Cities

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