Arctic front Friday; watching Sunday snow totals

Get ready for a little bit of weather everything in the next week in Minnesota.

Weather headlines

• Snowy dusting overnight into early Friday.

• Latest Twin Cities radar loop.

• Arctic cold pours south into Minnesota Friday.

• Coldest temps Saturday morning; (Near -10 metro -30s northern Minnesota)

• Shovelable and potentially plowable snowfall late Saturday night and Sunday

• Milder next week, 40s possible next Thursday/Friday

Last real arctic assault?

This could be the "last coldest" arctic air mass of winter. A stiffening northwest breeze pours arctic air south Friday. You'll feel the wind chill dropping, and by Saturday morning the core of arctic high pressure drops over Minnesota.

On Saturday night, a broad swath of snow advances into Minnesota from the west as warm air pushes over the departing cold dome.

Winter's last coldest subzero bottom?

Temps hit bottom Saturday morning. I still think -8 degrees is the number for the inner metro urban heat island protected core early Saturday.

The suburbs should have no problem reaching -10 to -15. Minnesota's traditionally colder nooks and crannies like Embarrass, Cook, Cotton and Orr should reach -25 to -40 Saturday morning.

Sunday snow

I'm closely watching Sunday's snow potential. Snow is likely. I have high confidence most of Minnesota will see at least a couple of inches starting late Saturday night into Sunday.

The early money is on southwest Minnesota along and south of the Minnesota River to be the snow bull's-eye with the best potential for 3 to 6 inches-plus. The early read for the metro suggests 1 to 4 inches as an early range. But this system will have to be watched for potentially higher metro totals.

Here's one very early notion of snowfall distribution from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale Forecast System model. Take this with a huge grain of salt this early, this can and probably will change.

Warmer next week

Next week looks considerably warmer than this week. It should feel about 50 degrees warmer by next Thursday than what you'll wake up to Saturday morning.

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model is still insistent in cranking out temps in the 40s and rain late next week. Here's a more detailed look at the next week.

Mild end to February?

Peering deep into the weather crystal ball we call medium-range forecasting, all signs point to milder than average weather February draws to a close.

That would mean a few more days in the 30s, with higher late February sun angle we could be melting some snow around here by the time March rolls around.

Stay tuned.