Winter storm warnings in northern Minnesota

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A major winter storm is about to deliver high winds and heavy snow to the north country. Let’s break down the system as it moves through the north into Wednesday and Thursday.

This is a deep and potent low-pressure system. It will track slowly from north of Omaha, Neb., Tuesday evening to around Duluth by Thursday. It’s got plenty of wind and moisture in tow. 

Colder temperatures on the north side of the system will change rain to some ice and then heavy snow across northern Minnesota overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System is similar to other solutions that track the system into the north with rain changing to snow overnight and lingering into Thursday. 

The forecast model loop below runs between 6 p.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday. Note the persistence of snow along the North Shore.

The heaviest snow will fall Wednesday across the north. Wind gusts along the North Shore will reach 40 to 60 mph!

This looks like a major shutdown blizzard along the North Shore region, which is likely to see 1 to 2 feet of snow by Thursday. 

 cover the North Shore form Two Harbors to the Canadian border. Here’s the National Weather Service bulletin:

Here’s a closer look from the National Weather Service at the 

 details for the Red River Valley and much of northwestern Minnesota.

In the south, this system brings mostly rain overnight into early Wednesday. We may even see some lightning or hear a clap of thunder overnight across southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities area, especially in the hours surrounding midnight. 

Rain will change to snow showers in the south Wednesday as colder air pushes south. Minor accumulations are likely for the south by Thursday.

The second storm system set for Friday seems to be tracking farther eastward in Tuesday forecast model runs. That would put heavier snow Friday onto Wisconsin probably just east of the Twin Cities area. 

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model shows the system just clipping the eastern Twin Cities Friday with a brief period of more vigorous snow. Check out the map below.

If the storm track stays east, that will put the most snow into Wisconsin Friday.

The two storms will pull down colder air that looks likely to persist into next week. It looks like February will go out on wintry notes with highs in the 20s as we move into next week.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

A major winter storm brings high winds and heavy snow to northern Minnesota Wednesday into Thursday.

Winter storm, blizzard warnings up in northern Minnesota as storm bears down

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA via tropical tidbits

NOAA

Snowfall projection for northeast Minnesota 2

Winter storm, blizzard warnings up in northern Minnesota as storm bears down

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