Fresh wintry coating, sky show this week

Snow lovers rejoice. It's beginning to look a lot like winter again.

A fresh blanket of snow brings a renewed wintry landscape to the Twin Cities metro area and much of central and southern Minnesota.

Commuters? Not so much.

Call it a mandatory winter refresher course.

Commuters picked up some winter additional winter driving credits with our latest blanket of snow. As expected roads were a mess just in time for rush hour.

Tuesday's Clipper came in on schedule, then over achieved in a few spots favoring the south metro. Snowfall totals in the metro ranged from about an inch to two inches or more in the south metro. Heavier totals favored the Minnesota River Valley and Interstate 35 corridor as expected.

An impressive, intense snow burst dumped over five inches in Owatonna south of the metro along I-35 in under two hours.

Forecast: Classic February

We're in the dead of winter these days. The sun angle is still not high enough for a real spring push. Jet stream patterns favor a continuation of what meteorologists call a "push-pull" pattern over Minnesota. A Clipper, a brief jab of arctic air, intermittent thaws. The next "arctic lite" high pressure cell dives south Wednesday, followed by milder southerly breezes by Friday on the back side of the departing high.

If you like classic Minnesota winter weather, the next week looks like you cup of tea. Sunshine, and temperatures below freezing but above zero, will be ideal for all kinds of outdoor winter play. Saturday brings another shot of potentially plowable, and playable snow.

Weekend snowfall worth watching?

I'm keeping an eye on the potential for snow this weekend. It's too early to pinpoint totals and coverage, but the potential is there for a few inches across a good swath of Minnesota by Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Sky show: Moon and Jupiter snuggle up

We'll see some breaks in the clouds the next two nights. When we do, check out the full "Deep Snow" moon and Jupiter which will be close by the next two nights.

Here's more from earthsky.org.

Tonight – February 3, 2015 – no matter where you are on Earth, look eastward as soon as darkness falls. The full moon and the dazzling planet Jupiter will couple up together just above the eastern horizon at nightfall. Think photo opportunity!

In North America, we call the February full moon the Wolf Moon, Snow Moon or Hunger Moon. Watch as this February full moon climbs upward with Jupiter throughout the evening hours. The brilliant twosome will reach its high point for the night around midnight, and will descend westward in the wee hours after midnight.

If you’re up early tomorrow, on February 4, look for the moon and Jupiter over the western horizon in the predawn/dawn sky.

Enjoy!