Major spring storm set to soak Twin Cities, drop heavy snow up north
Ice likely and a foot of snow possible along the North Shore.
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Get ready for a significant spring storm, Minnesota.
A low-pressure system is spinning through the Midwest this week. It will deliver a heavy shot of rain, ice, and snow to different parts of Minnesota. Precipitation coverage will increase across Minnesota through Monday night. The heaviest precipitation occurs Tuesday.
Let’s break down the system and what we can expect across Minnesota through Wednesday, starting with winter weather headlines up north.
Winter storm warning
A winter storm warning is up for most of northeastern Minnesota. The zone includes International Falls, Ely and the Boundary Waters, and most of the North Shore just east of Duluth.
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Expect a wintry mix of rain to ice to snow across northeast Minnesota starting Monday night, peaking Tuesday into Wednesday morning. The most severe impacts will favor the areas from Tofte through Grand Marais and Grand Portage.
Check out the National Weather Service wording for heavy ice and snow accumulations:
Including the city of Grand Marais
331 AM CDT Mon Mar 21 2022
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TUESDAY TO 1 PM CDT WEDNESDAY...
* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 7 to 11 inches with locally higher amounts to 15 inches possible. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
* WHERE...Southern Cook County. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Grand Portage Reservation.
* WHEN...From 1 AM Tuesday to 1 PM CDT Wednesday.
* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow should be heavy and wet in nature and may cause power outages and down trees. Ice accumulations of around one tenth of an inch are possible near the Tofte area.
Winter weather advisory
Areas from Brainerd through the Iron Range cities are under a winter weather advisory. Expect a wintry mix of ice and snow Monday night peaking Tuesday into early Wednesday.
Including the cities of International Falls, Bigfork, Walker, and Grand Rapids
331 AM CDT Mon Mar 21 2022
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TUESDAY TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY...
* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches and ice accumulations of around one tenth of an inch.
* WHERE...Koochiching, North Itasca, North Cass and South Itasca Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Bois Forte Band, Deer Creek and, Nett Lake areas.
* WHEN...From 1 AM Tuesday to 7 AM CDT Wednesday.
* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning and evening commutes.
The system
A low-pressure storm anchored in Missouri features an inverted trough into southern Minnesota. Moisture flow with the system will increase Monday night, and precipitation coverage will increase after dark in western Minnesota and spread north and east through 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Rain and snow coverage will increase Tuesday. This system is warm enough for mostly rain in the Twin Cities and most of central and southern Minnesota.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model shows the system and precipitation coverage pattern from Monday night through Wednesday.
Soaking rains
It will be warm enough for mostly rain in most of central and southern Minnesota Tuesday. Areas that get rain will see a heavy soaking rainfall Tuesday into Wednesday.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model is typical of forecast models that crank out an inch of liquid for many areas. The highest precipitation totals favor southeastern and northeastern Minnesota.
Ice, heavy snow north
Many locations up north could pick up one-tenth of an inch or more of ice with this system.
Throw in bands of heavy wet snow in excess of 6 inches and we could have power outages in some areas up north.
Right now, forecast models are laying out the heaviest snowfall bands along and near the North Shore. As much as a foot or more could fall along and above areas from Tofte to Grand Marais and Grand Portage.
Bottom line: A very wet spring storm will bring significant rainfall to central and southern Minnesota through Tuesday. Ice and heavy wet snow will fall across northern Minnesota. Travel will be difficult up north.
Stay tuned for updates as the storm unfolds in the next 24 to 36 hours.