Minnesota Weather: Winter storm warnings across the north

Here we go again northern Minnesota.

Our second storm of the week moves in with more snow Friday night through Saturday. It’s more wet snow in the north. It’s mostly rain with even a little thunder possible in the Twin Cities and the south.

Our first system has already dropped a swath of heavy wet snow in the north. Here are some select snowfall totals from across northern Minnesota, measured in inches:

Fargo-Moorhead area, 3.5
Thief River Falls, 8
Bemidji area, 6 to 7
Hackensack, 7
Cohasset, 6.6
Southern Duluth area, 7.7
Finland, 8

Good roads but plenty of snow around I-35 south of Duluth — Dry roads but plenty of snow on the ground around Interstate 35 south of Duluth Friday afternoon
Minnesota Department of Transportation

Let’s break down the next system as we ride through Saturday.

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The system

Another moisture-rich low-pressure system tracks from Iowa to near Chicago Saturday. It’s a cold rain in the south, but another zone of moderate to at times heavy snow will crawl across central and especially northern Minnesota Friday night through Saturday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model shows the trend between 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday:

NOAA NAM 3 km model — North American Mesoscale 3 km model between 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday
NOAA, via Tropical Tidbits

The heaviest snowfall zone favors northern Minnesota once again. (See the map at the top of the post.) Less snow will fall as you move south through a zone from Willmar through St. Cloud and Hinckley.

Snowfall projection.
Twin Cities National Weather Service office

It’s mostly rain from the Twin Cities south. We could even have a few rumbles of thunder overnight into early Saturday especially south of the Twin Cities.

Winter storm warnings

Winter storm warnings are in effect for most of northern Minnesota. Here are the National Weather Service details for northwestern Minnesota:

Including the cities of Bemidji, Lake Itasca, Fosston, Red Lake, Roseau, Red Lake Falls, Thief River Falls, Newfolden, Two Inlets, Fergus Falls, New York Mills, Bagley, Detroit Lakes, Wadena, Park Rapids, Mahnomen, Baudette, and Middle River
1013 AM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026
...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 AM CDT SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 5 and 12 inches.
* WHERE...Portions of central, north central, northwest, and west central Minnesota.
* WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 1 AM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Travel will be very difficult to impossible.

Here are the details for northeastern Minnesota:

Including the cities of Isabella, Ely, International Falls, Walker, Grand Rapids, Hibbing, and Bigfork
1258 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026
...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 1 AM CDT SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 5 and 12 inches. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
* WHERE...Koochiching, North Cass, Itasca, Central and North St. Louis, and Northern Cook and Lake Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Bois Forte Band, Deer Creek, Nett Lake and, Lake Vermilion areas. Other locations including Voyageurs National Park. The entire Boundary Waters is also included.
* WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 1 AM CDT Sunday.
* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult.

Ice storm warning

It’s an ice storm warning for northwestern Wisconsin with this system.

Glaze ice of one-half inch or more could bring down branches and power lines once again. Here’s the National Weather Service guidance:

Including the cities of Grantsburg, Hayward, Hurley, Bayfield, Ashland, Phillips, Washburn, Spooner, and Superior
1258 PM CDT Fri Apr 3 2026
...ICE STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM CDT SATURDAY...
* WHAT...Significant icing expected. Total snow and sleet accumulations up to two inches and ice accumulations up to one half of an inch.
* WHERE...Price, Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Sawyer, and Washburn Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Red Cliff Band, the Bad River Reservation, the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, the St. Croix Band in Burnett County and the northwestern area of the Lac du Flambeau Band. Other locations including the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Madeline Island.
* WHEN...From 7 PM this evening to 10 AM CDT Saturday.
* IMPACTS...Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the ice. Travel could be nearly impossible.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The majority of ice accumulations will be Friday evening and Friday night.