Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Northeast blizzard winds up, 50s return this weekend

All weather is local

It's true all weather is local. Your back yard might as well be the official NWS observing station in your universe.

That's why forecasting and watching storms unfold is so darn addicting to meteorologists. Storms are like people. They change and grow over time. They add elements to their personality as they travel through a life cycle. The same storm that hit your backyard acts differently in a backyard across town or in the next state.

Exhibit A?

Minnesota's Clipper that brought a fresh coating of snow is marrying with a moisture rich low pressure center over the Atlantic. The two systems morph into one gigantic, wrapped up low pressure bomb that will leave 95-million people wondering how winter came the the east coast in March this year.

Snowfall totals continue to look impressive for New York City, Philly and Boston. Washington D.C. rides the dicey southern edge of the rain snow line with this one. Many major forecast models crank out 18" for NYC, and up to 2 feet further inland. Pick your model. Place your bets.

Schools are closed and commuters are urged to stay home Tuesday. Shoppers are getting the message. Mild and bread. Milk and bread.

Blizzard potential growing

A tightly wrapped storm means winds may gust to 60+ mph along the coast. Sideways snow.

Blizzard warnings are expanding around New York City and Long Island.

Bottom Line: A major, one-day blizzard will hit the northeast Tuesday. 1 to 2 feet of snow is likely from New York City inland. This will be a major weather event for the northeast.

Minnesota: Cold for now, springy again next weekend

Our fresh snow cover in Minnesota will stick around for about 3 days. As expected the heaviest snowfall followed the Minnesota River Valley. Forecast models did a pretty good job overall with what could be the season's last significant winter storm.

3 13 Snowfall map
Twin Cities NWS

By Thursday, winds turn southerly once again. An ever increasing sun angle equal to late September will do a number on the snow on your lawn and farm field by Thursday. By next weekend, temps push 50 degrees once again from the Twin Cities south and west.

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Custom Weather

Note the incredible warmth, 80s building to the southwest over Nebraska by Sunday. It wont be long until one of these warm pushes surges bodily north into Minnesota.

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2-meter temperatures Sunday evening via Canadian GEM model from tropical tidbits.

Stay tuned.