Clouds, snow showers and gusty winds settle in

Thursday brings colder temperatures and higher winds. We’ll also have snow showers spread from northwest to southeast with additional accumulation across northern Minnesota.

Wind-driven snow showers

Thursday will not be a pleasant day. Intense winds develop as air rushes into our deep surface low and unusually intense upper-level low. Wind gusts of up to 50 to 60 mph are possible Thursday.

We’ll also see snow showers spread across much of central Minnesota. As the upper low — which is cold air aloft — creates instability, it will generate snow showers and thick clouds. Snow showers will spiral around the low pretty tightly looking like a mini “snow hurricane.”

Most snowfall accumulations will be limited to one inch or less on grassy surfaces. Northern Minnesota however will see additional snow on top of what they saw overnight.

Well below normal temperatures

High temperatures Thursday will not get out of the 30s for most of the state. That’s nearly 20 degrees colder than normal.

While the weekend brings a little more sunshine and ever so slightly warmer temperatures, it will still be rather chilly in the 40s south and 30s north.