Frigid temperatures this weekend prompt cold weather advisories

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Accumulating snow is likely for the first time this fall season in parts of Minnesota. Plowable snow is likely for northwestern Minnesota. A few models suggest possible light accumulating snow in the Twin Cities by Saturday evening. 

Our next weather system pushes into Minnesota with more rain again Wednesday night into Thursday. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model shows the evolution of rain waves across most of Minnesota, but the precipitation depicted as bright blue in northwestern Minnesota and North Dakota is in the form of snow. 

The forecast model loop below runs between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Friday. 

NOAA’s NAM 3 km model lays out around one-half to 1 inch of rainfall across southern Minnesota through Friday. 

Accumulating snow through Friday for NW Minnesota 

Most forecast models crank out accumulating snowfall for far northwest Minnesota through Friday. 

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model below lays out anywhere from around 6 inches to as much as a foot of potential snowfall in the far northwestern corner of Minnesota around Hallock. Here’s the European model snowfall output through Friday:

Forecast models suggest a weak follow-on system Saturday that may graze southern Minnesota with some lighter snow. 

The American and Canadian models suggest the snow would stay mainly south of the Twin Cities, but the usually trusty European model keeps snow across the Twin Cities.

The European model lays out minor accumulating snow for the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota on Saturday:

The biggest shock this weekend may come from plummeting temperatures. Highs will not climb out of the 30s this weekend across most of Minnesota! 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Our next weather system brings additional rain and some snow.

Grand Forks National Weather Service office

NOAA via tropical tidbits

NOAA NAM 3 km model precipitation output 

More rain and some snow on the way

Go Deeper.

Like this?