Unusually warm for early February; fog in parts of Minn. Saturday morning

The thickest fog Saturday morning is in western Minnesota, with pockets of fog elsewhere in Minnesota.

A dense fog advisory continues through Saturday morning in portions of southwestern Minnesota:

Here are details of the advisory, which includes portions of several states:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Sioux Falls SD 444 AM CST Sat Feb 3 2024 IAZ001>003-012>014-020>022-031-032-MNZ071-072-080-081-089-090-097- 098-NEZ013-014-SDZ038>040-050-052>071-031800- /O.CON.KFSD.FG.Y.0011.000000T0000Z-240203T1800Z/ Lyon-Osceola-Dickinson-Sioux-O`Brien-Clay-Plymouth-Cherokee-Buena Vista-Woodbury-Ida-Lincoln-Lyon-Murray-Cottonwood-Nobles-Jackson- Pipestone-Rock-Dixon-Dakota-Beadle-Kingsbury-Brookings-Gregory- Jerauld-Sanborn-Miner-Lake-Moody-Brule-Aurora-Davison-Hanson- McCook-Minnehaha-Charles Mix-Douglas-Hutchinson-Turner-Lincoln- Bon Homme-Yankton-Clay-Union- Including the cities of Emery, Platte, Flandreau, Mountain Lake, Scotland, Bridgewater, Brookings, Parker, Tabor, Elk Point, Arnolds Park, Salem, Jefferson, Menno, Lake Benton, Viborg, Sioux Center, Sanborn, Harrisburg, Sioux City, Tyler, Battle Creek, Chancellor, Marion, Orange City, Wagner, Sibley, Howard, Lake Andes, Lakefield, Woonsocket, Ivanhoe, North Sioux City, Luverne, Alcester, Milford, Madison, Worthington, Hawarden, Hull, Clayton, Pipestone, Plankinton, Ponca, Wakefield, Allen, Fulda, Kimball, Windom, Corsica, Freeman, Beresford, Springfield, Cherokee, Gregory, Lennox, Wessington Springs, Spencer, Spirit Lake, Inwood, Storm Lake, White Lake, Marshall, Marty, Jackson, Burke, Avon, Hartley, Yankton, Larchwood, Tyndall, Tea, Irene, Holstein, South Sioux City, Mitchell, Vermillion, Rock Rapids, Arlington, Hendricks, Parkston, De Smet, Delmont, Chamberlain, Huron, Orland, Le Mars, Slayton, George, Alexandria, Sioux Falls, Canton, Centerville, Lake Preston, Stickney, Canistota, Rock Valley, Tripp, Ida Grove, Montrose, Armour, Hurley, Sheldon, and Alpena 444 AM CST Sat Feb 3 2024 ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY... * WHAT...Visibility one quarter mile or less in dense fog. * WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, and central, east central, south central, and southeast South Dakota. * WHEN...Until noon CST today. * IMPACTS...Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you. Avoid distractions if driving.

In addition to areas of fog, parts of northwestern Minnesota closest to the Red River Valley could see a bit of drizzle/freezing drizzle at times this morning.

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. 

Warmth continues

The average Twin Cities low temperature is 9 degrees on Feb. 3. The low temp at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was 31 degrees this morning. Highs today are expected to reach the lower 40s across much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin:

A few spots in far northwestern and far northeastern Minnesota could see upper 30s.

The average Twin Cities high temp is just 25 degrees on Feb. 3.

Dry in most areas

Most of Minnesota and western Wisconsin won’t see any rain (or snow) today.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern from noon Saturday to 9 p.m. Saturday:

Snow depths

Snow lovers will have to be patient. Most of Minnesota has no snow on the ground right now, Currently, snow cover is confined to mainly far northern Minnesota.

Here’s the latest Minnesota snow depth map, from the Minnesota State Climatology Office:

The areas that are shaded yellow have snow depths of 2 to 4 inches, with 4 to 8 inches of snow cover in the area that’s shaded green. The portion of northeastern Minnesota that’s shaded blue has 8 to 12 inches of snow on the ground.

Update

A new Updraft will be posted around 10:40 a.m. today. It will include a look at Sunday and the week ahead.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.