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Northern Lights Earlier This Week
Earlier this week, many people in Minnesota were able to witness a breathtaking display of the northern lights. These lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are created by particles from the sun colliding with gases in Earth's atmosphere. When these particles collide with gases like oxygen and nitrogen, they release energy in the form of light, which is what we see as the northern lights. The colors of the aurora depend on the type of gas that is being ionized by the particles - oxygen produces green and red light, while nitrogen produces blue and purple. The result is a stunning display of colorful lights dancing across the sky, creating a truly magical experience for anyone lucky enough to see them.
Northern Lights Forecast For March 26th
Forecast: Auroral activity will be high. Weather permitting, highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Juneau, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Sept-Iles, and visible low on the horizon from Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and Halifax.
See more from the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska Fairbanks HERE:
Peak Bloom of the Cherry Blossom Trees in DC
Every year in the spring, the National Mall National Park Service in Washington DC celebrates the peak bloom of its cherry blossom trees with a festival. The cherry blossom trees were gifted to the United States from Japan as a symbol of friendship in 1912. These trees produce beautiful pink and white flowers, which bloom for only a short time before falling to the ground. The festival celebrates the arrival of spring and the beauty of the cherry blossom trees. People come from all over to see the trees in full bloom and take part in activities such as parades, concerts, and picnics. It's a special time of year in Washington DC and a reminder of the importance of friendship between nations.
See more about the Cherry Blossom Festival HERE:
Status of Spring
"March 20, 2023 - Spring leaf out continues to spread north, arriving several days to weeks earlier than average (the period of 1991-2020) in much of the Southeast, lower Midwest, and mid-Atlantic. PIttsburgh, PA is 17 days early. Parts of SE Colorado and Kansas are days to a week late. The West is a mix of early and late. Southwest UT is days to over a week late and Portland, OR is 2 days late. Spring bloom has also arrived in southern states, days to weeks early in the Southeast, and days to over a week late in the Southwest. Nashville, TN is 25 days early, Las Vegas, NV is 8 days late. How typical is this year's spring? Darker colors represent springs that are unusually early or late in the long-term record. Gray indicates an average spring. Parts of the Southeast, lower Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and New York City area are seeing either the earliest spring leaf on record or a spring that only occurs once every 40 years (dark green). Parts of Arizona are seeing a spring that only occurs this late once every 40 years (purple). Spring bloom is latest on record across parts of the Southwest including California and Arizona, and earliest on record in parts of the upper Southeast including Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina."
See more from the National Phenology Network HERE:
"Spring Outlook: California drought cut by half with more relief to come"
"Moderate to major spring flooding predicted along upper Mississippi River from Minneapolis to St. Louis. Significant flooding is ongoing in the western U.S., especially in California, following another series of strong Pacific storms that battered the region and piled on to an already historic snowpack. According to NOAA's U.S. Spring Outlook, the abnormally wet winter will further improve drought across much of the western U.S. as the snowpack melts in the coming months. Winter precipitation, combined with recent storms, wiped out exceptional and extreme drought in California for the first time since 2020, and is expected to further improve drought conditions this spring. NOAA's U.S. Spring Outlook highlights temperature, precipitation, drought and flood predictions for April through June to help the nation prepare for potential weather and climate threats to lives and livelihoods."
8th Snowiest Season at MSP
With more than 81" of snow, the MSP Airport is currently sitting at the 8th snowiest winter on record! We need less than 4" of additional snow to get into the top 5, but would need almost an additional 18" to get to the top spot.
Spring Flood Outlook
"No real changes in the last two weeks... The late March updated outlook for spring flooding in the upper Mississippi, Minnesota, and Chippewa River basins remains well above normal, particularly on the Mississippi from St. Paul downstream. The very high snowpack for this time of year has remained in place over the last two weeks. There is some good news! The 7-10 day temperature and precipitation pattern is favorable for a slow melting period through the end of March (details later in the briefing). As always, the threat of seeing major flooding will still depend on what kind of rainfall/temperature patterns we get as we move into April."
See more from the NWS Twin Cities HERE:
The Illusive 50F For Minneapolis
According to the Twin Cities National Weather Service, we have not yet hit 50F this March. If we fail to do so, this will be the first time we haven't hit 50F in March since 2001.
Extended Temperature Outlook
The NBM extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis shows a string of 30s and 40s through the end of the month and into early April. Interestingly, the last time we hit 50F or warmer was back on November 26th (53F). Last year, we hit our first 50F on March 15th (51F). On average, we hit our first 50F on March 4th.
Snow Depth
As of Friday, March 24th, the MSP Airport had 2" of snow on the ground. Much of the state of Minnesota and into northern Wisconsin has a pretty significant snowpack. Nearly 2ft to 3ft of snow is on the ground near Lake Superior and more than 3ft on the ground near across parts of the U.P. of Michigan.
Consecutive Days With At Least 1" of Snow Depth
Believe it or not, the MSP Airport has had at least 1" of snow on the ground for 115 consecutive days as of March 24th, which is tied for the 9th longest stretch on record. Warmer days are in the forecast, so we'll see how long this lasts.
Seasonal Snowfall
Many locations are nearly 2ft to 3ft above average snowfall for the season from Sioux Falls to the Twin Cities and north toward Duluth. MSP was sitting at 81.2" of snow for the season (since July 1st), which is the 7th snowiest start to any season on record and nearly 36" above average. Duluth has seen 125" of snow this season and the snowiest start to any season on record there and the 6th snowiest season on record.
Twin Cities Weather Outlook For Sunday
The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Sunday, March 25th shows quiet weather in place with a mix of sun and clouds. Temps will warm to around 40F, which will be a little below average for the end of March.
Weather Outlook on Sunday
Temps across the region on Sunday will warm into the 20s and 30s across much of the state, which will be around -10F to -20F below average. Despite being a little below average, the weather will be fairly nice with a mix of clouds and sun.
Meteograms For Minneapolis
The hourly temps through the day Sunday will start in the upper 20s in the morning and will warm to around 40F in the afternoon. There will be a mix of clouds and sun with north to northwesterly winds around 10mph.
Hourly Feels Like Temps
Feels like temps on Sunday will start in the lower 20s in the morning and will warm into the low/mid 30s by the afternoon.
Weather Outlook
Weather conditions will be quieter in the Upper Midwest through the weekend, but will turn more unsettled mid/late week next week as a bigger storm system develops. There could be a rain/snow mix closer to home. The weekend could see lingering showers and storms across the Gulf Coast States, some of which could be strong to severe with locally heavy rain.
Severe Threat on Sunday & Thursday
Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible once again across the Gulf Coast States on Sunday along a stalled frontal boundary, where large hail and damaging winds will be possible (a few isolated tornadoes can't be ruled out either). Meanwhile, we're already eyeing our next storm system that could bring more widespread storms to the Central and Southern Plains on Thursday of next week.
Extended Temperature Outlook For Minneapolis
Temps will warm into the upper 30s and low/mid 40s through the weekend and into early next week, which will be nearly -5F to -15F below average for this time of the year.
Extended Weather Outlook For Minneapolis
Weather conditions will be rather quiet over the next several days with temps running nearly -5F to -10F below average for this time of the year. Mid to Late next week could feature a rain/snow mix as a bigger storm system develops in the Midwest.
8 to 14 Day Temperature Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 day temperature outlook shows cooler than average temperatures across much of the northern tier of the nation and especially across the Midwest.
8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 Day precipitation outlook shows active weather continuing in the Pacific Northwest and also across the Southern US.
When Meteorologists Pray On The Air - Run
By Paul Douglas
"Oh man. Dear Jesus, please help them." I've never heard of a TV meteorologist praying on the air, but WTVA's Matt Laubhan said those words looking at his Doppler radar screen, visibly shaken Friday night. A mile-wide tornado was bearing down on Armory, Mississippi, southwest of Tupelo, and he knew, instinctively, that the inflamed, donut-shaped swirl he was tracking was evidence of something terrible. The damage was, in fact, staggering - nothing left behind but rubble.
When you hear "Tornado Emergency" or" Flood Emergency" life-threatening weather is nearby, and you may have minutes or even seconds to take shelter and protect you and your family.
Spring is coming, but it's in no particular hurry this year. The sun peeks out much of this week with 30s and 40s; a few degrees below normal for this time of year. I see a little rain Thursday and slushy snow may accumulate Friday night. But the beauty of an April Fool's Day snowfall? It'll melt in the blink of an eye.
Yep, Minnesotans earn their summers.
Extended Forecast
SUNDAY: Partly sunny and cool. Winds: NW 8-13. High: 41.
SUNDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy and quiet. Winds: N 5. Low: 23.
MONDAY: Mostly cloudy and dry. Winds: NW 5-10. High: 40.
TUESDAY: Clouds increase. Winds: NW 7-12. Wake-up: 22. High: 38.
WEDNESDAY: Early flakes, then clearing, Chilly. Winds: NW 7-12. Wake-up: 18. High 34.
THURSDAY: A little light rain possible. Winds: S 10-20. Wake-up: 19. High 42.
FRIDAY: Slushy snow potential PM hours. Winds: NE 15-25. Wake-up: 29. High 40.
SATURDAY: Any snow tapers, slow clearing. Winds: N 10-20. Wake-up: 28. High: 36.
This Day in Weather History
March 26th
2012: This is the record early ice-out date on Mille Lacs Lake.
2007: Temperature records are shattered across much of central and southern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. The following records were set: 69 at Alexandria, 75 at Mankato, 77 at Little Falls, 79 at St. Cloud, 81 at Minneapolis-St. Paul and Eau Claire, 82 at Redwood Falls, and 83 at Springfield.
Average High/Low for Minneapolis
March 26th
Average High: 47F (Record: 81F set in 2007)
Average Low: 29F (Record: -10F set in 1996)
Record Rainfall: 1.02" set in 1921
Record Snowfall: 8.5" set in 1936
Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
March 26th
Sunrise: 7:04am
Sunset: 7:32pm
Hours of Daylight: ~12 hours & 28 minutes
Daylight GAINED since yesterday: +3 Minutes & 8 Seconds
Daylight GAINED since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 3 hour & 42 minutes
Moon Phase for March 26th at Midnight
1.8 Days Before First Quarter Moon
National High Temps on Sunday
Temperatures on Sunday will be cooler than average across much of the western half of the nation. Temps in Denver will be nearly -20F below average, while folks in the Eastern US will be nearly +20F above average.
National Weather Outlook Sunday
The weather outlook on Sunday will be unsettled across the Eastern US with scattered showers and storms, some of which could be strong to severe in the Southeastern US. Areas of rain and snow will be possible across the Great Lakes and Northeast with areas of snow possible across the Rockies.
National Weather Outlook
Weather conditions will remain active in the Northeastern US with rain, snow and strong winds. Scattered storms, some strong to severe will be possible in the Southern US. Areas of snow will continue in the Rockies.
Extended Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook shows heavier amounts across parts of the Southern US with localized flooding possible. There will be areas of heavy precipitation in the Western US as well and especially in the high elevations
Snowfall Potential
According to the ECMWF (European model), heavy snow will be found across much of the high elevations in the Western US and across the northern tier of the nation. Some spots in the Midwest could get some plowable snow once again.
Climate Stories
"When To See Jupiter And Mercury 'Collide' After Sunset Next Week"
"Next week Jupiter and Mercury will appear to pass very closely in the post-sunset night sky. It won't be a fair fight between the biggest and smallest planets in the solar system. Jupiter has 5,750 times more mass than Mercury, according to Universe Today. Jupiter is a ball of gas while Mercury is made of rock. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun while Mercury is the closest, though it's no longer the Sun's nearest neighbor. However, while giant Jupiter is sinking into the Sun's glare—soon to appear in the predawn night sky—tiny Mercury is on the cusp of reaching its highest position in 2023 above the horizon after sunset. Despite that, this planetary conjunction will take place in bright evening twilight, so does present some challenges."
"UN's Global Disaster Alert Systems Goal Faces Uphill Climb"
"How can anyone seek shelter from a natural disaster they don't even know is coming? Last year the United Nations called for every person on the planet to be covered by early warning systems by 2027 — but months into the effort it is becoming clear that the project will require more data and expertise. With a relatively low price tag of $3.1 billion, the UN's plan hopes to implement the simple principle of early warning systems: assess risks using meteorological data, forecast impending problems using modelling, prepare populations ahead of time, and send out alerts to those expected to be impacted. But building out those steps poses unique issues at each turn, according to those involved in the effort, many of whom are gathered this week in New York for a historic UN conference on water-related crises."
"The wildest photos after 700 inches of the 'Greatest Snow on Earth' fall on Utah"
"This week, annual snowfall at Brighton Ski Resort exceeded 700 inches. Putting this number in perspective, most resorts in the state get an average of around 500 inches a year, according to ski industry promoter Ski Utah. The record-breaking snowfall, almost reaching 60 feet (or 10 Shaun Whites), is the "earliest in the season that this has occurred since Utah began recording snowfall in 1943," per Ski Utah historical data. The Utah Department of Transportation had its hands full, facilitating constant avalanche mitigation in the canyons while its fleet of 500 plows cleared approximately 24,300 lane-miles of road during and after every storm. Wednesday, celebrating a rare season of bottomless snow, the Utah Office of Tourism placed a 700-inch-tall banner on the side of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Salt Lake City. To give an idea how much snow communities across the state have managed, here are some of the best Deseret News photos from this winter:"
