Another weekend slop storm for Minnesota?
Rain, ice, accumulating snow possible this weekend in parts of Minnesota
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This has been an “interesting” March in Minnesota.
Temperatures this month are running between 6 and 10 degrees warmer than normal across most of Minnesota, but we’ve had enough cold air around to produce multiple significant snowfall events.
In what seems like a contradiction, many locations in Minnesota are running warmer than normal with above normal snowfall this month. Now our next potential snow maker is in sight, and right on track for another sloppy weekend. Naturally.
The system
European and American forecast models suggest multiple low pressure waves will cross Minnesota this weekend, and it appears temperatures will be just cold enough to generate frozen precipitation once again.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model (see the map above) mimics the more trusty European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model with a wave of possible ice and snow Friday into Saturday across northeastern Minnesota.
That’s followed by a second wave farther south Saturday night into central Minnesota, including the greater Twin Cities area.
It’s still really early to be confident about specific snowfall coverage zones and totals Tuesday night for a Saturday night system, but I wanted to point out a couple forecast model trends.
On the map below, check out the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts model and how it lays out a band of sloppy snowfall accumulations through central Minnesota with the Twin Cities on the southern edge of the heavier snow zone.
On the map below, note the snowfall output from the European Centre’s newer Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System model.
It picked up on the trend last week of snowfall shifting farther southward. It lays out a heavy sloppy snow band farther south with more of the Twin Cities in the heavier snow zone.
I have little doubt the snowfall forecasts will shift this week, but the notion of a wet March storm with sloppy snowfall accumulations seems increasingly valid.
Drought under attack
Our active March weather pattern has featured about a storm a week dropping heavy rain and or snow across different parts of Minnesota. Regardless of who gets rain or snow in next weekends system, it looks likely to drop another 1 to 2 inches of precipitation across sour region.
So bad timing for a weekend. But good news to ease our lingering drought.
Stay tuned.
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