Cooler but still well above normal this week

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Just when you thought it was safe to start dreaming about spring. 

The weather maps look increasingly busy across Minnesota as we move into April. Two weather systems will bring a messy mix of rain, ice and snow to different parts of Minnesota this week.

The heaviest snow zone favors northern Minnesota and especially the North Shore. Forecast models as of Tuesday favor a wintry mix for the Twin Cities and the south.

Let’s break down the timing and coverage of a wide variety of precipitation types and weather conditions aiming for Minnesota the next few days.

System No. 1 Wednesday night through Thursday

 that will track through Iowa Thursday. That puts Minnesota on the more wintry northern side of this system. Look for snow to spread across the northern half of Minnesota Wednesday night through Thursday. 

Tuesday’s forecast models continue to favor a transition zone with a wintry mix of rain to ice and snow across much of central Minnesota, including the greater Twin Cities area. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model seems to have a pretty good handle on the system. The forecast model run below runs between 7 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. Thursday. 

The heaviest snow and slush will be north of the Twin Cities. We could see an icy mix early Thursday morning before it warms up enough to make it mostly rain in the Twin Cities Thursday. 

The sweet spot for heaviest snow favors central Minnesota through the Iron Range and especially the North Shore communities. There will be less snow as you move farther south.

Winter weather advisories cover most of southern and western Minnesota. Here’s the National Weather Service guidance:

Winter storm watches will likely become warnings in the northeastern parts of Minnesota. 

Our second weather system looks fairly similar to our first storm. A mix of rain south changes to wet snow in the north. The Canadian model forecast below runs between 7 a.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday. 

The bottom line is snow will be heaviest from central into northeastern Minnesota with both systems. The North Shore has the potential for over a foot of snow late Saturday.

We still have Wednesday’s model runs to see if there are track changes.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Two wintry storms bring the potential for heavy snow in the northern half of Minnesota. Rain and a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain are possible in the central and south.

Winter storm watches, advisories across Minnesota Wednesday night through Thursday

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