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We’re easing out of what was likely the coldest run of winter. The temperature dipped to minus 1 degree Friday morning at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

That’s our 17th subzero day in the Twin Cities this season. So we’re on pace to get to the seasonal average of 22 subzero days. We typically see about another five days of subzero temperatures through February into the first week of March.

Saturday brings another frigid start to Minnesota. Overnight lows will dip below zero once again.

Sunshine and light winds Saturday will help boost temperatures in the teens in the south by afternoon. It’s amazing how good a sunny 16 degrees can feel after an extended subzero run.

Sunday brings even milder temperatures. Bank thermometers will flash 30 degrees in southwestern Minnesota Sunday afternoon. Sunday will be the first warmer-than-normal day in two weeks for most of Minnesota! Baby steps people.

A weak to moderate clipper will cross Minnesota into Sunday. It looks like snow will begin in the Red River Valley and northwestern Minnesota Saturday afternoon and expand east into Saturday night.

Right now, it looks like the snow zone will reach the Twin Cities area sometime around or after midnight Saturday night. 

Snow will gradually taper off from west to east Sunday. The heaviest snow hours in the Twin Cities favor Sunday morning but we could get another vigorous shot in the afternoon before the snow ends.

On the map below, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s latest (18Z) NAM 3 km model shows the snow trend between 3 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

The heaviest 1 to 3 inch snow zones favors northern Minnesota. (See the map at the top of this post.)

The Twin Cities looks likely to pick up an inch or two. Roads will likely get a little slick Sunday across most of Minnesota.

Gusty winds in northwest Minnesota favor blowing snow. Here’s the National Weather Service guidance:

Next week looks milder than this past week with highs in the 20s. There’s still a chance of a day or two in the 30s in southern Minnesota next Thursday into Friday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Arctic cold eases this weekend. A clipper brings snow to most of Minnesota Saturday night into Sunday.

Gradually milder weekend; clipper brings light snow Sunday

Go Deeper.

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