Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Another clipper brings light snow Thursday; subzero weekend ahead

Signs of a major warmup next week

Snowfall projection
Snowfall projection
Twin Cities National Weather Service office

It’s a winter wonderland out there these days for most of Minnesota.

Our next clipper sails through Minnesota Thursday. This one looks weaker on the weather maps.

Most forecast models suggest a track that will place the bulk of accumulating snow across southwestern and south-central Minnesota. But a couple of models suggest the system could ease a little more snow into the Twin Cities.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model is among the easternmost model paths and does bring some accumulating snow into the Twin Cities Thursday afternoon.

The forecast model loop below runs between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday.

NOAA HRRR model
High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

Most models keep significant accumulations southwest of the Minnesota River Valley.

NOAA’s NAM 3 km model projection on the map below is similar to models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and NOAA’s Global Forecast System.

NOAA NAM 3 km model snowfall
North American Mesoscale 3 km model snowfall output through Thursday
NOAA, via Pivotal Weather

It’s most likely that a few inches of snow will fall mainly southwest of the Twin Cities Thursday. Light snow is still possible in the metro area Thursday afternoon, including during the rush hours. It doesn’t take much snow with temperatures in the teens to ice up roadways.

Forecast high temperatures Thursday
Forecast high temperatures Thursday
NOAA

So stay up on forecasts as we head through Thursday afternoon’s commute.

Arctic weekend ahead

A proper arctic air mass blows into Minnesota this weekend. Highs this weekend will hover at or below zero across Minnesota.

Forecast high temperatures Saturday
Forecast high temperatures Saturday
NOAA

The weekend cold wave bottoms out Sunday morning with temperatures in the minus 10s to minus 20s.

Forecast low temperatures Sunday
Forecast low temperatures Sunday
NOAA

There are still signs of a major warmup next week with highs into the 30s by next Tuesday!

Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
Forecast high temperatures Tuesday
NOAA

Hang in there.