Winds of April, true spring late next week?
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Today's weather may offer a little something for everyone.
Sunny peeks. Rain or snow showers. Increasing winds as the day wears on. In fact it's going to get downright gusty this afternoon and tonight as the center of low pressure spins away from southern Minnesota.
Wind advisories are up for southwest Minnesota.
Today's developing gusts are a good reminder that April is the windiest month of the year on average in Minnesota. And yes, the Twin Cities is windier on average than the Windy City of Chicago.
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To the maps
Low pressure swirls east from the Iowa Minnesota border today. The next clipper sails southeast tonight, with another show of snow to rain across Minnesota tomorrow. Incoming solar energy in April causes the days warm enough to change snow to rain.
I can't rule out a slushy coating on metro lawns tomorrow morning. Anything that falls in the metro will quickly melt before midday.
Those of you in northern Minnesota will see the white stick around a little longer. The forest is happy.
5 N TWO Harbors [Lake Co, MN] TRAINED SPOTTER reports SNOW of 5.00 INCH at 7:41 AM CDT --
3 NNE Hermantown [St. Louis Co, MN] OFFICIAL NWS OBS reports SNOW of 2.30 INCH at 7:00 AM CDT --
Silver BAY [Lake Co, MN] TRAINED SPOTTER reports SNOW of 2.70 INCH at 7:03 AM CDT --
Lutsen [Cook Co, MN] TRAINED SPOTTER reports SNOW of 3.80 INCH at 7:03 AM CDT -- 0.75 INCH SINCE 10 PM.
9 E Cook [St. Louis Co, MN] AMATEUR RADIO reports SNOW of 5.00 INCH at 6:43 AM CDT --
Embarrass [St. Louis Co, MN] CO-OP OBSERVER reports SNOW of 4.00 INCH at 6:00 AM CDT --
In the short run, I like the looks of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's forecast solution. Our 5-10 degree cool bias continues into the weekend. Ripples of low pressure brings chances for a mix of rain and snow showers.
In the longer run, both NOAA's models and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts agree on a major gush of milder Pacific air gradually infused with Gulf moisture late next week. The upper air pattern is suggestive of widespread downpours, and the potential for the season's first real severe threat by the weekend of April 16-17.
Before the system is able to suck up Gulf moisture by next weekend, we may see a few classic spring days late next week. Sunshine and temps near 70 by next Thursday and Friday? The European Centre model thinks so. So do I.
As the storms roll ashore out west, southern California looks likely to get in on some valuable late season rainfall and mountain snow next week. several inches could fall around Los Angeles and national news could feature some flooding stories in the next week or so. The Ohio Valley gets wet too.
The western moisture next week may give Minnesota a right proper soaking next weekend.
Stay tuned.