Forecast winter storm track has shifted northward

A weak weather disturbance will bring a spotty light wintry mix to parts of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, possibly including the Twin Cities, this Thursday morning. The National Weather Service has added a winter weather advisory until 9 a.m. on Thursday to southeastern Minnesota including Rochester for a mixture of freezing rain, sleet and snow changing to all snow.

Snow will fall in the Arrowhead where a winter weather advisory has been posted for southern Cook County for 4 to 8 inches of snow.

Major winter storm for Friday

A significant winter storm is developing over Colorado. It will sink southeast into Oklahoma before zipping northeastward toward the Great Lakes.

Snow should reach southern Minnesota Friday morning and west central Wisconsin by early afternoon.

The latest forecast models have pushed the area of expected snow a little farther north in Minnesota. Most of the Twin Cities metro area except the far north are now included in the winter storm watch for Friday and Friday night. Significant snow accumulations are likely for northern Iowa, southern Minnesota and central to northern Wisconsin.

Forecast snowfall amounts have been increased a bit as well. Some portions of the watch area are likely to see at least a foot of snow, but exact locations can’t be forecast so precisely. While it looks as though the greatest amounts are likely to be south of the Twin Cities, amounts of around a foot could fall in Dakota County in the southeast metro.

The core of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area should get around 6 to 8 inches while just a few inches will fall on the northernmost suburbs. Note that these amounts could change in later forecasts. Snowfall amounts will taper off quickly along the northwest edge of the storm.