Friday evening snow; sprinkle or flurry chance on Saturday

Snow arrived about 3 p.m. Friday at the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen:

Fat flakes spread into Minneapolis and St. Paul, then across about the northern half of the metro area Friday afternoon.

As of 5 p.m. I had about one inch of new snow on my lawn in St. Paul, but the roads and sidewalks were just wet.

Where temperatures are cooler elsewhere in the metro area and greater Minnesota, slick roads are possible Friday evening into the overnight hours.

Snow Friday evening

The heaviest snow Friday evening into Friday night is expected to be in a band across the mid-section of Minnesota and into northwestern Wisconsin.

Some spots, including the northern fringe of the 7 county Twin Cities metro area, could see 2-4 inches of snow accumulation:

 Advisories

Winter weather advisories for snow, low visibilities and slippery roads are in effect Friday evening and overnight from west-central Minnesota into northwestern Wisconsin:

The advisory includes Anoka county:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

313 PM CDT Fri Nov 3 2017

...ACCUMULATING SNOW TONIGHT...

.An area of snow will continue developing across central

Minnesota this afternoon and spread east into portions of west

central Wisconsin tonight. Moderate to heavy snow could occur

at times with snowfall rates around an inch an hour. Some freezing

drizzle is possible overnight across central Minnesota. Total

snow accumulation from 2 to 4 inches is likely north of a line

from Benson, to Anoka and Chetek Wisconsin. Little or no ice

accumulation expected.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect until 5 AM Saturday for

much of central Minnesota and 7 AM for a small part of east

central Minnesota into west central Wisconsin.

MNZ045-052-061-040500-

/O.CON.KMPX.WW.Y.0014.000000T0000Z-171104T1200Z/

Kanabec-Isanti-Anoka-

Including the cities of Mora, Cambridge, and Blaine

313 PM CDT Fri Nov 3 2017

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM CDT

SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Snow. A chance of freezing drizzle overnight. Plan on

slippery road conditions. Additional snow accumulations of 2 to

4 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze are expected.

* WHERE...Kanabec, Isanti and Anoka County.

* WHEN...Until 7 AM Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Look for reduced visibilities at times.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow, sleet or

freezing rain will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for

slippery roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while

driving. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling

from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.

An advisory has also been issued for parts of northeastern Minnesota:

The Duluth area is included in the advisory:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Duluth MN

249 PM CDT Fri Nov 3 2017

...Snow On The Way...

.A period of moderate to potentially heavy snow will impact parts

of east-central Minnesota into northwest Wisconsin tonight with

snow continuing up the North Shore into Saturday night. Snowfall

tonight will range from 2 to 4 inches for most areas with some

locally higher amounts possible, most likely over portions of

northwest Wisconsin. More snowfall is expected Saturday along the

North Shore and Arrowhead and other parts of far northern

Minnesota. Most of the snow in southern portions of the Northland

will fall this evening through the early morning hours Saturday.

MNZ037-WIZ001>004-040800-

/O.EXB.KDLH.WW.Y.0027.171104T0000Z-171104T1500Z/

Carlton/South St. Louis-Douglas-Bayfield-Ashland-Iron-

Including the cities of Duluth, Superior, Washburn, Bayfield,

Ashland, and Hurley

249 PM CDT Fri Nov 3 2017

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO

10 AM CDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Plan on slippery road conditions. Total

snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are expected, locally higher

amounts possible in the higher terrain around Duluth.

* WHERE...In Minnesota, Carlton/South St. Louis County. In

Wisconsin, Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland and Iron County.

* WHEN...7 PM today to 10 AM Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Be prepared for reduced visibilities at

times.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will

cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow covered

roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

The latest road conditions for Minnesota can be obtained by

calling 511 in state, or 1-800-542-0220. For Wisconsin, call

511 in state, or 1-866-511-9472

You can check with the Minnesota Department of Transportation for the latest Minnesota road conditions.

You can get updated advisories and snow amounts on the MPR News live weather blog.

Snow shifts north on Saturday

Accumulating snow is expected to linger over parts of northern Minnesota on Saturday, while the central and south have a chance of scattered light rain showers, with a few flakes in the mix during the morning.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern Friday evening through Saturday evening:

Green areas in the simulated radar loop indicate rain, blue areas are snow.

The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of snow or rain.

Temperature trends

On Saturday, highs are expected to be in the 30s over northern and central Minnesota, with some 40s in the south:

y

Sunday highs will range from the upper 20s in northwestern Minnesota to 40s southeast:

Looking ahead, the Twin Cities metro area should see highs in the 30s Monday and Tuesday, followed by highs in the lower 40s Wednesday through Friday of next week.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.