The pattern of getting hammered by a winter storm and then lapsing into a few quiet weeks has been the norm this winter in Minnesota so far, and it just so happens to be a little over two weeks since the state was last hit hard by a storm .
Nearly 23 inches of snow was dumped on the Twin Cities two days before Christmas, followed by a few inches on December 29. Since then, only a trace of snow has been recorded. That could change later this week as a storm system expected to emerge over the Rockies and southwestern Canadian prairies moves southeast through the region.
Sponsored again by Grand Casino: good, clean, purified fun!
“A little moisture later in the week. It might start when rain turns to snow Thursday, different scenarios as far as accumulation goes,” said meteorologist Sven Sundgaard.
“Looks like we’ll see some snow fall, especially Thursday night when it cools down to Friday. probably looking to snow ahead of us (in the Twin Cities) at some point after seeing a bit of a mix on Thursday. ”
According to the National Weather Service’s Twin Cities office, there is “growing support for a more southern trail” of the system, including the European model currently projecting what the weather service says are “much bigger problems than light rain, sleet, and snow showers. . ”
“It has a full-size snowstorm in eastern Dakota and western MN from Thursday through Friday,” says the NWS Twin Cities’ forecast discussion of the European model.
Nothing is guaranteed this far before the storm system, as it can easily stay up north and hit Canada while leaving Minnesota windy and mostly dry.
However, Duluth’s office of the NWS states in its forecast discussion that model guidelines indicate “increasing chances of significant snow accumulation” in the predicted area of northern Minnesota.