Wet, white and windy weather

Today has been a day that only a meteorologist could love, and then only if he/she tried very hard.

Heavier jackets have been needed and umbrellas have not been much use in that raw wind. My wife captured much of today's bleakness in this photo of a leafless birch tree, soggy leaves on wet ground, wet streets and wet sidewalks, taken through our rain-spattered window.

Rain and drizzle remained widespread across eastern Minnesota this afternoon. A large area of rain was continuing to cross the metro area eastward during mid-afternoon.

However, the blustery northwest winds have been dropping the temperatures down into the 30s. The cooler air has allowed the precipitation to change over to wet snow in parts of northwest into central and east central Minnesota. Some light accumulations, mainly on grassy areas, are possible from north of the metro area to northwestern Minnesota

The Twin Cities will see periods of rain-snow mix this evening and overnight with lows in the mid-30s. The above-freezing temperatures and warm ground surfaces should prevent accumulations.

Temperatures in most areas are likely to warm just a bit later in the night, which will begin the melting process where snow has accumulated.

Thursday should see rain and any lingering snowflakes exit Minnesota eastward in the morning. Winds will be slow to diminish.

Our next chance of precipitation will be Friday night into Saturday when a large blob of rain rolls northeastward across southern and east central Minnesota. It should be gone into Wisconsin before trick-or-treat time.

Warmer temperatures will begin to come back our way on Friday and we should be considerably warmer than normal well into next week. While it will not feel much like July, it will not feel like November, either.

I am certain that winter will arrive eventually. The annual pamphlet of Minneapolis snow emergency rules arrived in the mail today. They would not send it to me if I were not going to need it, would they?