Updraft: April 10, 2008 Archive

Here we go. A major winter storm in April.

If you are planning any travel around Minnesota the next 48 hours get ready for wind, rain sleet snow and thunder. It all depends where you are.

A powerful winter type storm is moving in and will be with us into early Saturday.

Rain is spreading northward today from Iowa into Minnesota. As the day goes on, rain will gradually change to snow from west to east. By nightfall the rain snow line should be very close to the Twin Cities. That means a mixed bag around the metro. We will see rain, sleet and snow from southeast to northwest across the metro this evening. It appears rain will change to all snow as we go through the night here in the metro.

The strong dynamics and forcing with this storm will mean thunderstorms may develop as well. Thundersleet or thundersnow is a possibility tonight as the strongest part of the storm draws near.

As for snow totals, it still appears at this time that the heaviest snow band will set up from Redwood Falls to Willmar to St. Cloud to Cambridge to Duluth. This area could see 12" to 18" by Saturday morning, with plenty of blowing and drifting snow as winds gusts over 30 mph.

Here in the metro I expect a snow gradient again. The best chance of 6" to 12" should favor the west and north metro, with substantially lower amounts of 3" to 6" south and east of the metro as these areas remain mixed with rain longer.

This will be a mostly rain event for Rochester and La Crosse, with a few inches of wet snow possible Friday after the changeover to snow occurs in southeast Minnesota.

The bottom line is, get ready for a major winter weather event for the next 48 hours. Expect near blizzard conditions and school closings as we move toward Friday. Stay tuned for updates on Minnesota Public Radio.

Here are some resources to keep tabs on the storm. Stay safe!

Twin Cities radar loop

Twin Cities NSW storm coverage

MNDOT metro traffic info and cameras

PH

It wasn't too long ago that a very clever marketing agent for golf courses labeled Friday as part of the weekend to raise the green fees. Apparently a fair number of folks were working 10 hour days Monday through Thursday, so they got a jump on the weekend.

Come later this afternoon, a good number of Minnesotans will be convincing themselves that this Friday is a grand day to implement the three day weekend strategy without the declaration of a formal holiday.

This large storm system, the result of a surge of spring showing it's strength against the long lasting winter, will ignite April fireworks. Blizzard conditions from southwest to northeast Minnesota will shut down road travel for the most part tonight and Friday.
Wind driven snow is likely to keep highways slick and camouflaged with drifts and low visibilities.

Severe weather and flooding rains will create perilous situations to the south of Minnesota. Meteorologists have their work cut out for them the next 48 hours.

In the weather lab, Paul and I are challenged to call the change over from a cold wind driven rain to a heavy wet snow in the Twin Cities. This fine line in the physical process of the vertical profile from the surface to five thousand feet is likely to be positioned for some time on Minneapolis. Snow is likely to accumulate several inches in the west and north metro, with a mixture of precipitation lasting overnight from Cottage Grove to Hastings.

As of noon precipitation was advancing on the south metro. We are closely watching the surface reports of the automated weather equipment to monitor the rain and snow demarcation.

Minneapolis/St. Paul radar

Stay tuned for the updates on this wild ride with nature.

National Weather Service headlines from Chanhassen
CE

There is some good news for travelers in the metro early tonight.

Current satellite, radar, surface and model trends are in line with my previous thinking that precipitation will remain mostly rain in the metro and most of southern Minnesota this evening. We may see some snowflakes mixed in with the rain, but with temperatures above freezing it will be difficult to get any significant accumulations from the metro south and east tonight. Roads may become a little slick late tonight.

Warm air advection has warmed the lower atmosphere to the point that we should stay mostly rain until late tonight. It still looks like we'll see a wind driven snow Friday into early Saturday.

I'm still expecting the band of heavy snow to run from Redwood Falls, to Willmar, to St. Cloud to Duluth.

Stay tuned for updates!

PH

Watch the storm unfold with these weather cams around Minnesota.

Duluth weather cam

Duluth cam #2

Duluth WDIO TV Harbor Cam

MNDOT Greater Minnesota traffic cams

MNDOT metro traffic cams and info

PH

The rain/snow line has shifted far enough east late tonight that heavy snow is causing roads around much of the metro to become snow covered and slippery.

Expect slick roads overnight, and into the morning commute.

Heavy snow contiuues overnight for much of western, central, and northeast Minneosta.

Stay safe, and listen for the latest updates on Morning Edition!

PH