Cooler but still well above normal this week

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We have a low pressure system over the western Dakotas today and a strong high pressure system over the Ohio River Valley. There’s a huge pressure difference between those two systems, so we’ll have strong winds through much of today.

Wind gusts to between 30 and 40 mph are possible today in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Gusts of 45 to 55 mph are possible today in portions of western Minnesota.

The strong winds will cause blowing snow and reduced visibilities at times in southwestern Minnesota, where a winter weather advisory continues until 3 p.m. Sunday:

Here are details of the winter weather advisory in southwestern Minnesota: 

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News 

Much of the southern half of Minnesota will see Sunday high temps of 20 degrees or warmer. Teens are expected elsewhere in Minnesota and in western Wisconsin. Metro area highs will reach the lower 20s. 

Wind chill temps Sunday afternoon are expected to be mainly in the single-digits either side of zero.

Monday high temps will be in the 20s to lower 30s:

The Twin Cities metro area is expected top out in the lower 30s on Monday. The metro area hasn’t seen 30s since Jan. 9.

Tuesday highs reach the 30s across much of the southern half of Minnesota plus western Wisconsin:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be in the the upper 30s on Wednesday, followed by mid 30s Thursday and Friday.

Above-normal temps are expected next weekend and unusually warm weather could continue into the beginning of February. Here’s the Jan. 28 through Feb. 3 temperature outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center:

Wintry mix possible in northern Minnesota

A wintry mix of light snow, sleet and freezing drizzle is possible in portions of northern Minnesota Sunday night into Monday morning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern from 5 p.m. Sunday to noon on Monday:

Precipitation could occur in some areas that look dry in the forecast radar loop, so check forecast updates later today and on Monday.

Parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin could also see a wintry mix on Tuesday.

Updated forecast information will be posted by the National Weather Service offices in the 

Snow depths were much higher last January

The official Twin Cities snow depth is one inch right now. I notice grass poking through the snow cover in parts of St. Paul and even some bare patches.

Here’s the latest Minnesota snow depth map, from the Minnesota State Climatology Office:

The only areas with 8 inches or more of snow cover are shaded blue.

One year ago, the Twin Cities snow depth was 11 inches, and almost the entire state had 8 inches or more of snow cover:

The purple shades show 18 inches or more of snow cover last January in northeastern Minnesota.

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.  

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

We’ll have a windy Sunday, then much less wind and warmer temperatures on Monday. We take a look at the week ahead plus Minnesota snow depths.

Windy today, some 30s this week; January snow cover was much higher last year

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