Updraft Category Archive: Freezing rain

Changes blowing in the wind

Posted at 3:25 PM on March 26, 2012 by Craig Edwards (1 Comments)
Filed under: Freezing rain, Frost, Spring 2012, Warm fronts

A strengthening low pressure system in southwest North Dakato is ushering in milder temperatures through Nebraska into South Dakota. The leading surge of warmer air, depicted as a warm front, ignited showers and thundershowers in southwest Minnesota. Thundershowers are expected early this evening in eastern Minnesota.

Snapshot of radar at 330PM.

The regional short term model from the Chanhassen NWS Office presents this simulation of radar reflectivity at 7PM.

Winds have been gusting as high as 45 mph in western Minnesota (Worthington) this afternoon. A Wind Advisory remains in effect overnight and into Tuesday for southern and central Minnesota. Winds are not expected to ease off until late Tuesday.

Overnight, the rain advancing north will meet up with colder and drier air at the surface. This will result in freezing rain in far northern and northeast Minnesota. A Freezing Rain Advisory has been posted for a small corner of the Arrowhead.

Milder air will be positioned over southern Minnesota on Tuesday ahead of the advancing low pressure system. Temperatures are likely to soar well above normal once again.

The Twin Cities should top out near 70 degrees Tuesday afternoon. But the strong winds will detract from enjoying an outdoor lunch,

If you enjoy tracking the records from the unseasonably warm spell the last couple of weeks, the Chanhassen NWS Office has updated the details of the record warmth and dew points.

Our friends at the State Climate Office shared this nugget of information with regard to the outlook for frost in the months of April and May based on their study of historically warm temperatures in March. Using the past as our window to the future, it is apparent that a warm March offers us no obvious indication about when the final spring frost will occur. 139 years of Twin Cities temperature data were reviewed. The final spring frost can occur as late as mid May.

The GFS model that extends out two weeks paints a picture of more changes in the wind in the first week or so of April. Perhaps a reversal of the warm weather that we've enjoyed? We'll have to wait and see.
CE

Comment on this post

Cooler with scattered thundershowers, freezing rain possible northeast Minnesota

Posted at 6:38 AM on March 26, 2012 by Craig Edwards (0 Comments)
Filed under: Freezing rain, Rainfall, dew point

Yesterday's maximum temperature topped out at only 35 degrees at International Falls, which was four degrees below the average high of 39. The high on Saturday at the Falls was 58 degrees. In the Twin Cities the afternoon temperature failed to reach 60 for the first time since we settled for 52 degrees on March 12th. It was a good run well above normal temperatures.

Clouds are expected to prevail today. The maximum temperature in the Twin Cities may struggle to reach 50 degrees with periods of showers and thundershowers. Showers and thunder spread from central to northern Minnesota this evening. Many places are still short of precipitation for the month of March.

Here's a look at the potential precipitation totals for the next couple of days.

Due to the low dew points expected to hold over northeast Minnesota today and tonight, some of the precipitation is likely to occur as freezing rain. A Freezing Rain Advisory has been posted for a sliver of the Arrowhead Region for tonight. Freezing rain will coat tree limbs and pwer lines during the cover of darkness.

Details can be found by clicking on this statement from the National Weather Service in Duluth.

Strong winds are on tap as a low pressure system winds up over the upper Midwest later today. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory for portions of western Minnesota, where gusts could top 35 mph. Brisk winds are expected across much of the state on Tuesday as well.

The NAM depicts a strong surge of warm air as the low tracks towards International Falls at midday on Tuesday. This pressure pattern illustrates the potential for wind gusts to 40 mph in southern Minnesota.

It appears the trend continues to be our friend as we head into April. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center posted their April temperature outlook earlier this month. They sometimes refresh this outlook on the last day of the month.

Precipitation outlook from NOAA for April.

The normal maximum/minimum for the Twin Cities on April 1st are 50/31 degrees.
CE

Comment on this post

Icy Chaos: Metro improves; refreeze overnight

Posted at 11:47 PM on November 20, 2010 by Paul Huttner (6 Comments)
Filed under: Freezing rain

Update: 1:45pm Sunday:

Temperatures have warmed above freezing as expected in the metro, but remain just below freezing north and west.

Temps will hover just above freezing in the metro today, but just below freezing northwest.

The freezing rain advisory has been extended this afternoon northwest of the Twin Cities.

Main roads that have been treated will be in better shape today... but any untreated sidewalks and driveways may still be ice covered in the metro, especially the northwest side.

Use extreme caution walking and driving today, and we may get some refreeze tonight into Monday morning as temps fall below freezing again.

This event shows just how vulnerable UNTREATED roadways and walkways are to ice events.

Even though this was a relatively minor icing accumulation (generally around .10" in most areas) the IMPACT was large because roadways were largely untreated. There was a good forecast of light snow and/or freezing rain going into Saturday night. Had the roads been simply pretreated they would have been wet instead of icy, and we would likely not have had nearly the number of accidents we saw in the past 24 hours.

PH

Update 12:30am Sunday:

MNDOT and others reporting literally HUNDREDS of spinouts and accidents overnight into Sunday morning. Roads are just plain impassable in many areas. Untreated roads, driveways and sidewalks are glare ice!

Car off the road at I-694 & Zane Ave.

Here are some storm reports form NWS spotters.

- 1 Se Maple Grove [Hennepin Co, MN] storm chaser reports FREEZING RAIN of E0.10 INCH at 11:10 PM CST -- 0.10 inch ice accumulation over past two hours. roads are ice covered and nearly impassable. multiple accidents and roll overs on 694 west bound in the maple grove area. 694/94 east bound is closed due to a multi car accident involving a semi truck.

-Annandale [Wright Co, MN] law enforcement reports FREEZING RAIN of U0.00 INCH at 11:51 PM CST -- many vehicles leaving the roadway.

Conditions will improve by midday Sunday as temperures warm above freezing.

PH

Roads in much of central Minnesota including the metro are like a skating rink late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Freezing rain advisories are in effect through Sunday morning.

A band of freezing rain has coated everything, including sidewalks and power lines. The good news is accumulations will be on the lighter side, generally under .10" or so. That should not cause widespread power outages due to down trees or lines.

The bad news is it only takes .10" to form glaze ice on roadways and walkways. Be careful walking! Many ER visits during icing events are from people who fell while walking! Once roads are treated they will be better, but I personally observed several cars skidding and slipping uphill in the west metro Saturday evening. Roads are glaze ice in many areas.

MNDOT reports numerous accidents overnight.

I-94 jammed at Cretin late Saturday night.

Highway 100 northbound at Excelsior Blvd also jammed.

Glare on ice covered MNDOT camera tells the story.

Accident at I-35 & Hiawatha

Car sideways on I-494 at Highway 7 in Minnetonka!

Warmer temps Sunday:

The icing should last into Sunday morning, but warmer air will push temps above freezing by late Sunday morning, and that should help conditions improve as the ice begins to melt.

I'm still tracking a potentially major travel headache for Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. Snow, wind and cold temps may create a travel nightmare Wednesday and Wednesday night into early Thanksgiving Day.

Right now Tuesday looks like the best travel day before Thanksgiving. Fortunately travel may improve (no big storms) Friday thorugh Sunday of next weekend. Plan accordingly.

PH

Comment on this post