Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Widespread rain changing to snow up north. Winter storm ramps up.

Winter storm watch posted across parts of northern Minnesota.

Snow on a road.
Reflecting the light from a street light, ice sits partially exposed as newly fallen snow from the start of a winter storm sits on top on East 143rd Street in Burnsville. Our late fall and partly wintry weather system swirls through Minnesota through Friday.
Chris Juhn for MPR News 2020

Our late fall and partly wintry weather system swirls through Minnesota through Friday.

The system is delivering widespread rain to Minnesota, and that rain will change to snow overnight and Thursday across northwest and north-central Minnesota.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GFS model shows the low-pressure center tracking through Iowa toward the western end of Lake Superior, then looping back through northern Minnesota into Wisconsin between Wednesday evening and Friday morning. Note the change from rain (green) to snow (blue) across northern Minnesota.

NOAA GFS model Thursday and Friday
NOAA GFS model through 7 am Friday.
NOAA via tropical tidbits

Winter storm watch

Winter storm watches are posted across much of northern Minnesota. Here’s the watch zone from the Grand Forks National Weather Service office.

Winter storm watches and advisories
Winter storm watches and advisories.
Grand Forks NWS Office

Including the cities of Hallock, Karlstad, Lancaster, Roseau, Warroad, Greenbush, Baudette, Warren, Stephen, Argyle, Newfolden, Middle River, Grygla, Red Lake, Redby, Ponemah, Thief River Falls, Red Lake Falls, Fosston, Fertile, McIntosh, Erskine, Bagley, Clearbrook, Bemidji, Langdon, Cavalier, Walhalla, Drayton, Pembina, Neche, St. Thomas, Grafton, Park River, Edinburg, Adams, and Lankin

306 PM CST Wed Nov 10 2021

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 9 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 50 mph.

* WHERE...Portions of north central and northwest Minnesota and northeast North Dakota.

* WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Thursday evening and Friday morning commute.


And here’s the watch zone (and gale warnings) from the Duluth NWS office.

Winter storm watch Thursday
Winter storm watch.
Duluth National Weather Service

Including the cities of International Falls, Ely, and Bigfork

252 PM CST Wed Nov 10 2021 ...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...

* WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches possible, with locally higher amounts possible.

* WHERE...Koochiching, North St. Louis and North Itasca Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Bois Forte Band, Deer Creek and, Nett Lake areas.

* WHEN...From Thursday afternoon through Friday morning.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

The latest forecast model runs still suggest heavy snowfall across northern Minnesota. Here’s the latest NOAA GFS snowfall output.

NOAA GFS snowfall output
NOAA GFS snowfall output.
NOAA via pivotal weather

Melting and compaction of snow may reduce these totals a bit, but some prolific snowfall over a foot looks likely in Ontario Canada, and totals could reach double-digits in parts of northern Minnesota near the Canadian border.