Prolonged storm winding down; arctic outbreak coming

The plodding storm system that began as rain or wet snow on Tuesday is gradually losing its grip on Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Snowfalls have been impressive for both the amounts of snow in the north and its heavy, sticky wetness farther south. It has flocked the trees and bushes with lovely white feathers of snow.

Heaviest snowfalls were in northeastern Minnesota where flow off Lake Superior and over hilly terrain boosted snowfall rates and were generally lesser farther west and south.

Below are some approximations of snowfall totals in inches around Minnesota into Friday. Note that snow has still been falling at most locations since then.

• Duluth, 24

• Hibbing, 19

• Grand Rapids, 18

• Chisholm, 20

• Silver Bay, 22

• Moorhead, 15

• Brainerd, 16

• Ft. Ripley, 14

• Detroit Lakes, 14

• Pine City, 10

• Rochester, 6

Rough week across the Dakotas

Meanwhile, the Dakotas have been battered by blizzard conditions of heavy snow and blasting winds. The greatest snowfall amounts that I have seen there so far are in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Sturgis reported 35 inches of snow while Deadwood topped that with 48 inches.

Lingering snow showers

Scattered snow showers will linger into Saturday and diminish from west to east. In the short term, scattered snow showers or squalls of brief heavier snow are likely in eastern Minnesota into Friday evening.

While winds have been light in the Twin Cities area on Friday as the low-pressure center has been right over us, winds have been stronger in western Minnesota, on the backside of the low.

As a result, winter weather advisories will continue into the evening across much of western and southern Minnesota due to light snow falling and gusty winds blowing it around.

Also, a winter weather advisory for snow and blowing snow has been expanded and posted until 8 a.m. Saturday for northeastern Minnesota from the Arrowhead to the Iron Range to as far south as Pine County, including Hinckley, and for a large area of northwestern Wisconsin.

Winds will pick up in the Twin Cities area Friday night as that low begins to move off to our east.

Colder beginning on Saturday

A much colder pattern will begin to arrive on Saturday and bring serious cold weather all of next week.

High temperatures for Saturday should range from the mid teens to the mid-20s. The Twin Cities will have a high around 19 degrees. A few inches of snow will be likely in the Arrowhead.

Sunday will be a bit colder. Look for highs generally in the zero to 15 range. The Twin Cities should get to about 15.

The January-like cold will bite on Monday as the arctic air digs in. Highs should be just in the single digits over much of Minnesota with some low to mid-teens hanging on from the Twin Cities to parts of southern Minnesota.

The depths of the cold snap are likely to be from Tuesday to at least next Saturday. Daily high temperatures are forecast to be zero to 5 below in the northwest such as around Hallock, Warroad and Roseau.

The Twin Cities area should anticipate highs close to zero each day. Any wind during those days will produce nasty wind chills.

Snow next week?

Light snow is possible for at least parts of Minnesota on Monday.

A heavier event could sweep in from the northwest around Wednesday-Thursday. These Alberta Clippers are rarely major storms, but they bring out the plows. Pre-Christmas highway travel could be impacted.

A white Christmas is in the bag.