Snow slides (mostly) south; Several snow chances ahead

Posted at 4:07 AM on January 17, 2012 by Paul Huttner (1 Comments)
Filed under: Winter 2011-12

6am snow mainly south of metro with some accumulation and slick/icy roads

Coating expected in metro

1" to 2" possible south of metro and southern Minnesota by noon Tuesday

-Twin Cities radar loop

Jet stream snakes closer to Minnesota next few days

Several snow chances in the next week

Winter Monday afternoon on Lake Minnetonka. Wispy cirrus clouds indicative of approaching snow.

A rare snowy morning commute south of metro:

Commuters have been lucky this season. We've had mostly dry, snow & ice free roads this winter. That will change Tuesday morning, at least south of the metro.

It may not be a snow blitz by Minnesota standards, but 1" to 2" of snow overnight from Mankato to Rochester and falling temps around 10 degrees will lead to icy conditions for your drive into work Tuesday morning. Remember road chemicals don't work as well when temps fall below about 15-20 degrees. Take it easy, this could be one of the tougher commutes in recent memory.

Jet Stream nearby + Cold + Moisture = growing snow chances:

The outbreak of cold air means the jet stream has shifted south. During the next week it will snake closer to Minnesota. As it does, a series of rapidly moving weather systems will tap moisture and deal us several snow chances.

It's too early and chaotic to be totally accurate about specific timing and totals, but here's my best early estimate at this point.

Tuesday AM: Coating metro; 1" to 2" south

Wednesday PM: Dusting

Thursday night Friday morning: Another 1"-2"+ potential?

Saturday: Another couple of inches?

Sunday: Dusting?

Next Tuesday: Significant snow chance?

We'll work out details on timing and totals as the week wears on, but overall it looks snowier the next week to 10 days. We may nickel and dime our way to several inches of snow by next Tuesday. Snow lovers rejoice?

Stay tuned, but more importantly, stay safe on your Tuesday morning commute!

PH

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Comments (1)

Just curious -- why do cirrus clouds tell us snow is coming? And what is the sequence of events? Do they change into lower snow clouds? Or are they kind of an advance wave of clouds that travels through?

I've been really enjoying cloud watching this year and appreciate all comments on that. But have not been able to figure out what the changes in clouds mean.

(Thanks!)

Posted by Karen | January 19, 2012 10:46 AM

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