More snow targets Minnesota, then the coldest air since February

As Monday’s strong storm exits, another storm is already poised to bring more snow and ice on Tuesday, followed by the coldest weather much of Minnesota has seen in almost a year.

A storm that brought high winds, snow, ice, and falling temperatures to most of Minnesota Sunday night into Monday is slowly making its way away from the state, with the low pressure center of the storm just moving out of the Arrowhead and into Canada as of 6 p.m.

While there is still forecast to be a little lingering snow in the Arrowhead through the early evening hours, both snow and winds are diminishing, so the winter storm warning in northeastern Minnesota and the blizzard warning along the North Shore have both been allowed to expire.

The heaviest snow with the storm fell around the Brainerd Lakes area, with numerous reports over a foot, including an 18 inch report from St. Mathias.

The North Shore also got heavier snow, with a number of reports from 6 to 12 inches, and a 17 inch report from near Grand Marais.

More snow, then frigid

Another storm is already tracking snow toward Minnesota again, which will start to bring snow to the western edge of the state by the early hours Tuesday. Snow then moves across all of Minnesota by midday and snow plus a few areas of ice cause travel concerns through the day.
This includes the Twin Cities where snow currently looks likely to begin by the morning commute, and freezing drizzle is possible in the evening.

Tuesday will be a colder day, with highs from the single digits northwest to 20s southeast.

This will keep it cold enough for most of the precipitation to come as snow. However, there should be enough warm air aloft in southern Minnesota during the afternoon and early evening for some freezing precipitation to mix in once more. This includes Mankato, Rochester, and, as mentioned, some freezing drizzle could even make it as far north as the Twin Cities.
Southeastern Minnesota has already been put under a winter weather advisory for Tuesday given the snow and ice potential.

For most, snow will be the primary concern, and northern Minnesota could see totals past 6 inches once more in a few areas, particularly along the North Shore.

The precipitation continues to lift northeast and clear most of the state by late Tuesday evening, with the last of the snow exiting the Arrowhead by Wednesday morning.

Arctic air funnels across Minnesota behind that storm, putting the entire state (except areas near the “warmer” water of Lake Superior) sub-zero by Wednesday morning.

For most of the state, this will be the coldest air since the major arctic blast Minnesota and much of the central U.S. saw back in February.

For example, the Twin Cities has not seen any below-zero temperatures since February (with a chilliest temperature that month of minus 19). Moorhead’s coldest temperature so far this winter has been minus 9, but Wednesday morning could easily be 20 below.

Here is that temperature forecast for the Twin Cities showing the colder air into the New Year:

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Monday through Friday morning.