Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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Snow will begin developing Friday night into Saturday, followed by a surge of cold air Sunday  into the start of the work week. Snowfall amounts will vary, with central Minnesota and western Wisconsin expected to see the highest totals.

Our weekend snow system is less than 12 hours out now, and a winter weather advisory has been issued for a large portion of central and southern Minnesota.

Snow is expected to begin this evening in western Minnesota, spreading eastward into eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin late Friday night. It will continue through Saturday morning before gradually diminishing from west to east in the afternoon. 

Most areas will see 3 to 6 inches of snow, with some isolated higher amounts possible in interior western Wisconsin.

The probability of receiving more than 4 inches of snow is around 50 to 60 percent for central Minnesota. A sharp cutoff is expected north and south of the main snow band, meaning some areas could see several inches while nearby locations receive little to no snow.

There is a 40 percent chance of seeing more than 6 inches of snow for central Minnesota extending into western Wisconsin. 

Once the snow exits early Saturday afternoon, high pressure will take over gradually clearing out our skies and bringing a sunny Superbowl Sunday. Our temperatures however take a dive.

A surge of arctic air is on track to push into Minnesota late Sunday into Tuesday. Single-digit temperatures expected on Monday for a large portion of western and central Minnesota, while the metro area and southeastern regions will see temperatures in the teens.

By Tuesday morning, even colder temperatures will settle in, bringing bitter wind chills ranging from 20 to 30 degrees below zero, with some areas in northwestern Minnesota experiencing wind chills as low as 40 degrees below zero.

The six to 10-day outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Center indicates a likelihood of below-average temperatures for mid-February.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Mandy Thalhuber

Author

Snow will begin developing Friday night into Saturday, followed by a surge of cold air Sunday  into the start of the work week. Snowfall amounts will vary, with central Minnesota and western Wisconsin expected to see the highest totals.


National Weather Service

NOAA via Pivotal Weather

Probability of seeing greater than 4 inches of snow Saturday

NOAA via Weather Prediction Center

Probability of seeing more than 6 inches of snow on Saturday

What we know about Saturday snow: Expected totals and timing

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