A beautiful Sunday; winter storm watch for Monday
Saturday was gorgeous all across Minnesota, and our Sunday will be sun-splashed and mild.
Winds will be light, and this will be a great day to play in the snow!
Afternoon highs in the 20s are expected over most of northern and central Minnesota. Many spots in southern Minnesota will touch 30 degrees this afternoon.
There's ample snow cover over most of our state, according to the weekly snow depth map from the Minnesota State Climatology Office:
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Snow conditions will deteriorate this coming week, with highs in the upper 30s in much of southern and central Minnesota on Wednesday. Many spots in southern Minnesota will top 40 degrees this coming Friday and Saturday, and we could also see some rain showers.
Wintry mix on Monday
A low-pressure system will spread moisture over Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Monday.
With surface temps slightly below freezing and warmer temps aloft, a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow is possible on Monday and Monday evening, changing to mostly snow later Monday night.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential mix of precipitation:
In the forecast loop, blue areas are where the precipitation is likely to be snow for that time in the loop. Purple areas are sleet or freezing rain. Green areas are likely to be rain, but the rain could freeze at ground level if surface temps are cold enough.
The color chart on the lower right of the loop refers to the strength of the radar signal returning to the radar, not inches of snow!
In the Twin Cities metro area, we could see some ice accumulation Monday afternoon and evening, and two or three inches of snow from Monday night into early Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from southwestern and south-central Minnesota through the Twin Cities metro area and Isanti and Chisago counties:
In east-central Minnesota and the Twin Cities, the winter storm watch runs from noon Monday to noon Tuesday.
In south-central Minnesota, the watch goes from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday.
In far southwestern Minnesota, the winter storm watch starts at 6 a.m. Monday and continues through Monday evening.
Winter weather advisories are in effect for Nobles and Jackson counties of southwestern Minnesota, starting at 6 a.m. Monday.
Here are some details of the watch, from the NWS:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
427 AM CST SUN JAN 15 2017
...WINTER STORM POSSIBLE SOUTH CENTRAL INTO EAST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA MONDAY INTO TUESDAY MORNING...
.A WINTER STORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY
MORNING FROM THE I-35 CORRIDOR WEST TO A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS
TO CAMBRIDGE. THIS SYSTEM HAS EXHIBITED A SLOWING TREND, THEREFORE
THE PRECIPITATION ONSET WILL OCCUR A BIT LATER, SO THE WATCH
START TIME HAS BEEN DELAYED BY 6 HOURS. THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR
SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ALONG WITH THE THREAT FOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS
NEAR A QUARTER OF AN INCH SOUTH OF WHERE THE SNOW FALLS.
SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL IMPACTS ARE LIKELY MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. IN
ADDITION...IF SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPERIENCED...
SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES COULD OCCUR AS WELL DUE TO ICE
ACCUMULATION ON TREES AND POWER LINES.
MNZ051>053-058>063-065>070-075>077-151830-
/O.EXT.KMPX.WS.A.0001.170116T1800Z-170117T1800Z/
SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-
WASHINGTON-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-NICOLLET-
LE SUEUR-RICE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ELK RIVER, CAMBRIDGE, CENTER CITY,
LITCHFIELD, MONTICELLO, MINNEAPOLIS, BLAINE, ST PAUL, STILLWATER,
OLIVIA, HUTCHINSON, GAYLORD, CHASKA, SHAKOPEE, HASTINGS,
ST PETER, LE SUEUR, AND FARIBAULT
427 AM CST SUN JAN 15 2017
...WINTER STORM WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
TUESDAY MORNING...
THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
* SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN ARE POSSIBLE FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 3 INCHES AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS
UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE.
* SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY ARE POSSIBLE.
* PLAN ON DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.
CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
Here's a summary, from the NWS:
A couple of degrees change in temperatures at low and mid levels of the atmosphere will change our precipitation type tomorrow, so check forecast updates.
---Midday advisory update---
The NWS La Crosse, WI office has issued a winter weather advisory for parts of southeastern Minnesota from 6 a.m. Monday through noon Tuesday:
Here are some advisory details:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1059 AM CST SUN JAN 15 2017
...WINTRY MIX TO IMPACT TRAVEL STARTING LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING...
.A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW...SLEET...FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN IS SET TO
SPREAD NORTH INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING. WITH
THE ONSET OF PRECIPITATION...UNTREATED ROADS AND WALKWAYS ARE
EXPECTED TO BECOME SLIPPERY RATHER QUICKLY. THIS IS GOING TO
IMPACT THE MORNING COMMUTE FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF
INTERSTATE 90.
THE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA AND
SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN BETWEEN 3 AM AND 6 AM...THEN INTO THE
INTERSTATE 90 CORRIDOR BETWEEN 6 AM AND 9 AM. THUS...A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST
WISCONSIN STARTING AT 3 AM AND FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA
INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN STARTING AT 6 AM. WITH COLD ROAD SURFACES
AND A WINTRY MIX EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AS LATE AS TUESDAY
MORNING...THE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH NOON TUESDAY.
MNZ086>088-094>096-WIZ041>044-053-160100-
/O.NEW.KARX.WW.Y.0006.170116T1200Z-170117T1800Z/
DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-
JUNEAU-ADAMS-VERNON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DODGE CENTER...ROCHESTER...WINONA...
AUSTIN...PRESTON...CALEDONIA...LA CROSSE...SPARTA...TOMAH...
MAUSTON...FRIENDSHIP...VIROQUA
1059 AM CST SUN JAN 15 2017
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO NOON CST
TUESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING
RAIN...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM MONDAY TO NOON CST TUESDAY.
* WINTRY MIX...STARTING OUT AS SNOW...SPREADING IN AFTER 6 AM.
THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED LATER MONDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.
* SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS MOSTLY 1 INCH OR LESS. ICE
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1/10 TO 2/10 OF AN INCH.
* ANY FREEZING PRECIPITATION WILL QUICKLY MAKE UNTREATED ROADS
AND WALKWAYS SLIPPERY. THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE IS LOOKING TO
BE IMPACTED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.
Ice storm to the south
Freezing rain continues to cause problems over the central and southern parts of our country.
Ice storm warnings continue from the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle areas into Kansas, Missouri and southeastern Nebraska and western Iowa:
A winter weather advisory for a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow covers the rest of Iowa.
Be sure to check the weather if you’re driving south today or tomorrow!
The NWS has clickable warning maps for detailed weather updates at any location.
Programming note
You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.