See
more of the story
Snow Update
"Has it seemed like we've had a lot of snow this winter? You're right! Over 70" of snow has fallen in the Twin Cities this season, which is over 30" above normal and the 6th snowiest on record as of March 1st. Normal snowfall for the entire season is 55.4"."
More Snow Late Weekend
Another storm system will move through the region late Sunday into Monday with a potential of accumulating snow across parts of the region. The best chance of accumulations will be found north of the Twin Cities metro and will be enough to shovel and plow across parts of central and northern Minnesota.
Snowfall Potential
Here's the snowfall potential through early next week. Some spots across parts of central and northern Minnesota could see some 3" to 6", while a few spots in the northeastern part of the state could see more than 6" of snow.
Extended Temperature Outlook
The NBM extended temperature outlook for Minneapolis over the next several days shows milder temperatures in place with highs in the 30s and possibly near 40F through early next week. There could be a slight cool down early by the end of next week.
Snow Depth
As of Thursday, March 2nd, the MSP Airport had 7" of snow on the ground. Much of the state of Minnesota and into northern Wisconsin has a pretty significant snowpack. Nearly 2ft of snow is on the ground near Lake Superior and almost 3ft on the ground near Marquette, MI.
Seasonal Snowfall
After last weeks storm system, many locations are now nearly 2ft to 3ft above average snowfall for the season from Sioux Falls to the Twin Cities and north toward Duluth. 71.4" of snow has fallen at the MSP Airport so far this season (since July 1st), which is the 6th snowiest start to any season on record and nearly 30" above average. Duluth has seen nearly 93" of snow this season.
Twin Cities Weather Outlook For Saturday
The weather outlook for the Twin Cities on Saturday, March 4th will be fairly quiet with highs warming into the mid 30s.
Weather Outlook on Saturday
Temps across the region on Saturday will warm into the 30s and possibly near 40F, which will be close to and slightly above average for early March.
Meteograms For Minneapolis
The weather outlook for the Twin Cities through the day Saturday shows temps starting in the mid 20s in the morning and warming into the mid 30s in the afternoon. Skies will generally remain cloudier with some sunshine at times. Westerly winds will be around 10mph to 15mph through the day.
Hourly Feels Like Temps
Feels like temps on Saturday will hover in the 20s through much of the day with gusty north to northeasterly winds.
Weather Outlook
After a very active week in the eastern half of the nation, the weekend will generally be quiet. A weak system will slide through the Upper Midwest late weekend and early next week with a larger storm system developing in the Central US late next week.
Extended Temperature Outlook For Minneapolis
Temps over the next several days will warm into the 30s, which will be close to average for this time of the early in early March.
Extended Weather Outlook For Minneapolis
Weather conditions will turn a little more active late weekend and early next week with areas of rain and snow. It'll be a little cooler late week with a better chance of snow late next week as well.
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 nation and especially east of the Rockies.
8 to 14 Day Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, the 8 to 14 Day precipitation outlook shows more active weather in place across the Western US and continuing across California.
More Significant Snow Brewing Next Week
By Paul Douglas
Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humor. Like going from drought to flood in the blink of an eye. After a 2-year drought, Meteorological Winter at MSP was second wettest on record with 6.4" liquid precipitation (falling as snow and rain). Most of central and eastern Minnesota is now drought-free, with moderate drought over western counties. Heavy snow acted as a blanket and insulator this winter, keeping the frost level shallow - meaning snowmelt should be able to replenish soil moisture and fill up our lakes.
And more heavy snow in the coming weeks is inevitable.
After a quiet Saturday, models hint at 2-4" Sunday, and another 2-4" Monday. It's early, but models hint at a massive storm stalling over the Great Lakes next weekend. This could turn into another long-duration snow event, with significant snowfall accumulation here at home. If you're traveling you'll want to stay up on the very latest outlook.
Spring break? Spring fever? How precious and naïve. Old Man Winter: "Here, hold my beer".
Extended Forecast
SATURDAY: More clouds than sun. Winds: SW 7-12. High: 38.
SATURDAY NIGHT: Mostly cloudy. Winds: W 5. Low: 25.
SUNDAY: Wet snow arrives, 2-4" possible. Winds: SE 10-20. High: 39.
MONDAY: Few more inches of snow. Winds: N 15-25. Wake-up: 32. High: 35.
TUESDAY: Plenty of sun, pleasant. Winds: NE 8-13. Wake-up: 26. High: 40.
WEDNESDAY: Clouds increase. Winds: E 10-15. Wake-up: 24. High: 36.
THURSDAY: Snow develops during the day. Winds: NE 10-20. Wake-up: 28. High: 32.
FRIDAY: Potential for heavier snow. Winds: NE 15-30. Wake-up: 19. Wake-up: 23. High: 26.
This Day in Weather History
March 4th
1935: An extremely damaging ice storm hits Duluth. At the time it was called 'The worst ice storm in Duluth's history'. The storm began with freezing rain and wet snow falling at the Duluth Weather Bureau at 7th Ave West and 8th Street at 10pm on March 3rd. The temperature was 26 degrees. By the morning of the 4th, the snow stopped but the freezing rain continued. The lights started going out in Duluth by 6pm on the 4th due to power lines breaking. By the morning of the 5th, Duluth was virtually isolated from the outside world except for shortwave radio. A local ham radio operator sent the Duluth National Weather Service reports: Four streetcars had to be abandoned in the storm, three of them in the western part of the city. A heavy salt mixture and pickaxes were used to try to free the stuck streetcars. A one-mile stretch of telephone poles along Thompson's Hill was broken off as if they were toothpicks due to the ice.
Average High/Low for Minneapolis
March 4th
Average High: 36F (Record: 61F set in 1983 & 2000)
Average Low: 20F (Record: -22F set in 1873)
Record Rainfall: 0.80" set in 1984
Record Snowfall: 9.6" set in 1984
Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
March 4th
Sunrise: 6:45am
Sunset: 6:04pm
Hours of Daylight: ~11 hours & 19 minutes
Daylight GAINED since yesterday: +3 Minutes & 6 Seconds
Daylight GAINED since Winter Solstice (December 21st): ~ 2 hour & 33 minutes
Moon Phase for March 4th at Midnight
2.2 Days Until The Full "Worm" Moon - "12:29 p.m. CST In this month the ground softens and the earthworm casts reappear, inviting the return of the robins. The more northern tribes knew this as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter, or the Full Crust Moon because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation."
National High Temps on Saturday
Temperatures on Saturday will be cooler than average across the Western US with highs running nearly -5F to -10F below average. Meanwhile, folks in the Southern US will be nearly +5F to +10F above average.
Record Warmth Saturday
Record warmth will be possible across parts of Florida with highs running well above average.
National Weather Outlook Saturday
The weather outlook for Saturday shows lingering rain and snow in the Northeast with more widespread rain and snow across the Western US.
National Weather Outlook
A large storm system will wrap up over the Northeastern US early Saturday. Meanwhile, active weather will continue in the Western US with coastal rains and mountain snow. A weaker system will move through the Midwest late weekend and into early next week.
Extended Precipitation Outlook
According to NOAA's Weather Prediction Center, the extended precipitation outlook shows heavier amounts in the Southern US and also across the Northeastern US. Active weather continues in the Western US with widespread heavy precipitation across the West Coast.
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. Next week could be fairly active. Stay tuned...
Climate Stories
How AI can help predict weather in the era of climate change
"On Friday, February 17, a part of the sun erupted. A piercingly bright flash of light—a solar flare—shone briefly from the left limb of our star, where it was captured in an ultraviolet image by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft. "It wasn't the largest in history by any means, but it was a significant X flare," Thomas Berger, a solar physicist and director of the Space Weather Technology, Research, and Education Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. (The "X" refers to the letter grading system of solar flare intensity, which ranges from minor A-class to severe X-class flares. "Solar flares of that magnitude will generally cause some radio-interference on the sunlit side of the Earth for an hour or two," he says. Ultimately, this one was fairly mild—the most powerful solar flare ever recorded, in 2003, was more than 100 times more powerful by comparison—and did not cause any major problems."
See more from Fast Company HERE:
"Researchers launched a solar geoengineering test flight in the UK last fall"
"Last September, researchers in the UK launched a high-altitude weather balloon that released a few hundred grams of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere, a potential scientific first in the solar geoengineering field, MIT Technology Review has learned. Solar geoengineering is the theory that humans can ease global warming by deliberately reflecting more sunlight into space. One possible means is spraying sulfur dioxide in the stratosphere, in an effort to mimic a cooling effect that occurs in the aftermath of major volcanic eruptions. It is highly controversial given concerns about potential unintended consequences, among other issues. The UK effort was not a test of or experiment in geoengineering itself. Rather, the stated goal was to evaluate a low-cost, controllable, recoverable balloon system, according to details obtained by MIT Technology Review. Such a system could be used for small-scale geoengineering research efforts, or perhaps for an eventual distributed geoengineering deployment involving numerous balloons."
See more from Technology Review HERE:
"SCIENTISTS MAKE BREAKTHROUGH WITH 'MIRACLE MATERIAL' THAT MAY REVOLUTIONIZE SOLAR PANELS: 'THIS COULD BE AN ABSOLUTE GAME CHANGER'"
"Solar power is becoming cheaper and easier to get, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect. Solar panels that are usually made from silicon have large up-front costs and generally last between 25 and 30 years. So it makes sense that scientists have been looking for longer-lasting alternative materials to produce solar cells, which make up solar panels. Now, researchers at Princeton University are showing that a mineral called perovskite, which displays many of the same properties as silicon, can be used to make more long-lasting solar cells. Perovskite is also relatively cheap because unlike silicon cells, which are created at a blistering 3000 degrees Fahrenheit, perovskite cells can be made at room temperature. This means that far less energy is required to produce these cells, making the process more sustainable in addition to being cheaper. That's why it's been called a "miracle material" by clean energy experts."
See more from The Cool Down HERE: