Snow, sleet, hail, thunderstorms, record heat across Minnesota
Winter weather advisory Saturday night, Sunday includes Twin Cities
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The weather maps across Minnesota look like a bad art project. Two separate low-pressure systems are bringing a wild variety of weather to the state through the upcoming weekend.
The first system crosses Minnesota early Saturday morning. On the map below, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km model shows the wintry mix in the north and the potential for a few strong to severe cells to pop up Friday evening just south of the Twin Cities.
There is a marginal risk for severe cells from about the Twin Cities southward Friday evening.
The system is producing snow, sleet, ice and hail across much of northern Minnesota. A rare severe thunderstorm warning was issued for areas south of Duluth Friday afternoon. The storm dumped hail that rapidly covered roadways under the cell.
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Even parts of Interstate 35 were hail-covered Friday afternoon.
Farther north, it’s a mix of sleet, ice, and snow. Winter weather advisories cover most of the far northern strip of Minnesota into Saturday.
A winter storm watch covers areas near and south of Duluth:
Carlton and South St. Louis- Including the cities of Duluth 354 PM CDT Fri Mar 28 2025 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM CDT SATURDAY...
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...
* WHAT...For the Winter Weather Advisory, freezing rain. Additional ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph. For the Winter Storm Watch, heavy snow possible. Total snow and sleet accumulations between 2 and 4 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
* WHERE...Carlton and South St. Louis Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Fond du Lac Band.
* WHEN...For the Winter Weather Advisory, until 1 AM CDT Saturday. For the Winter Storm Watch, from Saturday evening through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Friday evening commute.
In the south, temperatures hit the 80s Friday afternoon with 70s into the southern Twin Cities. Fairmont set a new all-time state record high temperatures for March 28 with 86 degrees Friday. That breaks the previous record of 84 degrees set in Bemidji in 1946.
As of this post time it appears Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport has topped out at 74 degrees. That’s just 4 degrees shy of the record high of 78 degrees for March 28 set in 1946.
Storm No. 2 Saturday and Sunday
The second low-pressure system will spread rain and snow across much Minnesota from west to east Saturday. On the map below, the Canadian GEM model shows rain from about the Twin Cities south. To the north it will be snow.
Rain will change to snow late Saturday night into Sunday morning across the Twin Cities area.
Snowfall totals will be heaviest from west-central Minnesota through the North Shore. Here’s a look at the snowfall projection for Minnesota through Sunday:
Here’s a closer look at central and southern Minnesota. We could wake to a couple slushy inches Sunday morning around the Twin Cities. The heaviest snows will fall to the north:
Winter weather advisories include the Twin Cities Saturday night into Sunday.
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 254 PM CDT Fri Mar 28 2025
...EARLY SPRING STORM TO BRING SNOW AND ICE TO MUCH OF THE AREA... .
A potent storm system crossing the Upper Midwest will bring a mixture of wintry precipitation to central and southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin. Steady rainfall developing midday Saturday will transition to a mix of snow and freezing rain Saturday evening through much of Saturday night, then change to all snow before ending Sunday evening. Icing amounts Saturday night through Sunday of around a tenth of an inch can be expected, highest of which will be from southwest Minnesota to north of the Twin Cities metro into western Wisconsin.
Snow amounts will range 2 to 4 inches from central Minnesota into western Wisconsin, with lesser amounts over western and southern Minnesota. While some adjustments in the advisory and forecast may be made over the next 24 hours, there is high confidence that an impactful storm system will produce wintry precipitation over much of central and southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin this weekend.
Douglas-Stevens-Pope-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-Kandiyohi- Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Ramsey-Washington-Yellow Medicine-Renville- McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan-Martin-St. Croix-
Including the cities of Minneapolis, St Paul, Madison, Benson, New Ulm, Fairmont, Willmar, Victoria, St James, St Peter, Gaylord, Chanhassen, Litchfield, Granite Falls, Hutchinson, Glenwood, Redwood Falls, Montevideo, Olivia, Alexandria, Hudson, Stillwater, Chaska, Monticello, and Morris
254 PM CDT Fri Mar 28 2025
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM SATURDAY TO 7 PM CDT SUNDAY...
* WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up to two inches and ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch.
* WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota and west central Wisconsin.
* WHEN...From 7 PM Saturday to 7 PM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions.
Overall this system will produce 1 to 2 inch precipitation totals across much of central and southern Minnesota.
Temperatures this weekend return to more wintry notes.
Monday looks quiet, but another strong storms with rain and snow looks likely by next Wednesday.
Minnesota’s storm train is running at full speed.
Stay tuned.
