A three day weekend!

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