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UPDATE - 7:30 AM Sunday Morning:
The heavier band of snow set up to the north of the Twin Cities metro overnight into early this morning, bringing what amounted to a winter wonderland to areas of central Minnesota including the St. Cloud area.
You can see here on the radar from this morning where that heavy snow band got situated - to the north and west of the metro. Some areas in this heavy snow band are already reporting six or more inches of snow this morning.
As of this update, two snow reports have been issued by the National Weather Service: 8.5" was reported southeast of Pleasant Lake, with 6" in Clearwater.
Due to the expected snow totals from that band of heavy snow as well as near zero visibility at times, Winter Storm Warnings have been issued through 10 AM for Mille Lacs, Stearns, Benton, Sherburne, Chippewa, Kandiyohi, and Meeker Counties, and through Noon for Chisago, Polk, Barron, Rusk, Kanabec, and Isanti Counties. The Twin Cities remains under a Winter Weather Advisory through 11 AM.
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Original post from 6 PM Saturday Night:
Snow Saturday Night Into Sunday
As we head through Saturday night, an area of low pressure will bring a band of snow and, at times, a rain/snow mix, across portions of southern and central Minnesota, stretching up to the North Shore. Snow should be on its way out of the region as we head through the early and mid-morning hours. Loop above: 6 PM Saturday through Noon Sunday.
The current forecast has the heaviest totals out in southwestern Minnesota, where some areas could see over a half a foot. There is still some differences on where the heaviest snow falls closer to the Cities - whether it's right through the heart of the metro, or a little bit to our south. Right now the forecast has the Twin Cities squarely in the 2-5" range. Either way, prepare for slick roads if you're heading out Sunday morning, and a chunk of this snow probably won't melt until Tuesday due to cooler temperatures (more on that in a moment). Winter Weather Advisories are in place.
The heaviest precipitation in the Twin Cities will fall in the Midnight to 6 AM time frame on Sunday, with a mix to all snow possible. The snow will taper off heading into the mid-morning hours Sunday.
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Sunday Weather Outlook
Again, we are going to start off with a few snow showers working their way out of the metro Sunday morning, with skies quickly becoming sunny into the afternoon hours. Highs will be set around Midnight Saturday night in the low 30s. Daytime temperatures are only expected to be in the mid to upper 20s.
We will be watching snow showers in the morning hours across southern Minnesota into western Wisconsin, with another chance of snow working in later in the day in northwestern Minnesota. That second chance will slide southeast mainly north of I-94 through Sunday Night. Highs will in the teens in far northern Minnesota, and in the low 30s in southern portions of the state.
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Warmer Weather Returns Next Week
Don't worry - warmer weather will return as we head through the week... but the warm up doesn't start Monday. In fact, Monday will be the coolest of the next several days with highs only in the mid-20s. Highs quickly pop back into the 40s on the back of some strong southerly winds Tuesday, and remain in the 40s through the end of the week.
And that warm weather should continue through the weekend toward mid-March as well. In fact, some of our weather models are showing the potential of at least 50s late next weekend into the second week of March. These warmer temperatures could depend on how much snow melts the next several days.
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Almost At The End Of February
Through Friday, our average temperature month-to-date is still quite below average. The departure from average of -10.5F makes it the 21st coldest February to date on record. With only Saturday and Sunday left to add to this, it is quite clear this February will be in the top quarter of coldest Februarys on record for MSP. Meanwhile, while our snow and precipitation was below average through Friday, we will have to see what our Saturday Night/Sunday morning snow does to those totals.
Taking a closer look at just the temperatures (again, through Friday), our warmest high has been 41F back on the 22nd and on Friday. The coldest low was -19F back on Valentine's Day. We saw 13 days with a low of 0F or colder earlier this month, which would be tied for the 22nd most on record for February.
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Snow Depth Shrinks... For Now
For those who are enjoying the melting snow, wanting to see some green grass again, rejoice! We melted another inch of snow between Friday morning and Saturday morning at MSP Airport, bringing the snow depth down to 5". Now, of course, the snow that comes Saturday Night into Sunday morning will just send the snow depth back upward... but, as shown above, warmer temperatures as we get toward the middle and end of next week will allow the snow melt to commence again.
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Waking Up To Fresh Snow And Cooler Temperatures
By D.J. Kayser, filling in for Paul Douglas
We've almost reached the end of February... or should I say, for a chunk of the month, Fe-brrr-ary? According to Mark Seeley at the Minnesota State Climatology Office, February 2021 will be one of the top twenty coldest Februarys on record statewide. The average temp. through Friday in the Twin Cities was 10.5F below average, ranking as the 21st coldest month-to-date. At least it has been warmer recently!
There's a fresh layer of snow across the region this morning. That system has also brought cooler weather for today and Monday with highs in the 20s to low 30s. The good news is that highs quickly climb back into the 40s Tuesday into the weekend. Models are even hinting at our first 50s possible toward late next weekend or into the second week of March!
In other good news, NWS Grand Forks issued an update Thursday on the spring flood risk along the Red River. Right now, barring any high amount of additional precipitation soon, below normal runoff is expected - meaning the significant snowmelt flood threat is low.
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D.J.'s Extended Twin Cities Forecast
SUNDAY: 2-4" snow early. PM sun. Wake up 27. Overall high: 31 (daytime temps stay in the 20s). Chance of precipitation 90%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.
MONDAY: Cool start to March. Wake up 13. High 23. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind W 5-15 mph.
TUESDAY: Breezy, sunny and warmer. Wake up 15. High 41. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SSW 10-25 mph.
WEDNESDAY: A passing cloud or two. Wake up 29. High 43. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind SSW 5 mph.
THURSDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Average high: 35F. Wake up 29. High 45. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind WSW 5 mph.
FRIDAY: Snow continues to melt. Wake up 28. High 43. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind N 5-10 mph.
SATURDAY: Some clouds, especially early. Wake up 28. High 46. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind S 5-15 mph.
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This Day in Weather History
February 28th
1981: Ice is out on Lake Minnetonka. Boats are enjoying the early thaw.
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Average Temperatures & Precipitation for Minneapolis
February 28th
Average High: 34F (Record: 57F set in 1932)
Average Low: 18F (Record: -26F set in 1962)
Average Precipitation: 0.04" (Record: 0.70" set in 2012)
Average Snowfall: 0.3" (Record: 8.0" in 1907)
Record Snow Depth: 24" in 1962
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Sunrise/Sunset Times for Minneapolis
February 28th
Sunrise: 6:52 AM
Sunset: 5:59 PM
*Length Of Day: 11 hours, 7 minutes and 36 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: ~3 minutes and 5 seconds
*When Do We Climb To 11.5 Hours Of Daylight? March 8th (11 hours, 32 minutes, and 33 seconds)
*Earliest Sunset Before Daylight Saving Time: March 13th (6:28 AM)
*Latest Sunset Before Daylight Saving Time: March 13th (6:16 PM)
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National Weather Forecast
On Sunday, a system working east through the central and eastern United States will bring snow and ice to the northern tier of states, with showers and thunderstorms from the Ohio Valley to Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Deep South. Some of the rain over the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys will be heavy. Some areas of rain and snow will be possible in the Pacific Northwest.
Some of the heaviest snow through Monday evening will fall from southern Minnesota into the U.P. of Michigan, and across northern Maine. In these areas, over a half a foot will be possible. We're also tracking heavy rain across portions of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, where 3-5" of rain could fall during this time frame. That could lead to the potential of flash flooding.
Here's a closer look at the potential rain through Monday evening in the Ohio Valley.
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NOAA mulls moving start of Atlantic hurricane season up to May 15
More from the Washington Post: "Atlantic hurricane season doesn't officially start until June 1, but that could soon change. A committee at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is working to decide whether the start date of Atlantic hurricane season should be moved to May 15. The change would reflect an increasing tendency for early-season storms to form ahead of the internationally agreed-upon June 1 conventional start date in an effort to respond to observed trends. The National Hurricane Center has announced plans to begin issuing routine tropical weather outlooks starting on May 15."
New UN Climate Report Puts the World on 'Red Alert' for Climate Catastrophe
More from Earther: "Leading climate scientists are freaking out. That's a clear takeaway from the latest report commissioned by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the international body that represents the 197 signatories of the Paris Climate Agreement, which was released Friday. The study, called the Initial NDC Synthesis Report, measures countries' progress on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or their plans to meet the Paris Climate Accord's goal of keeping global temperature rise "well below" a 2-degree Celsius (3.6-degree Fahrenheit) increase over pre-industrial levels. Those pledges, the authors write, fall far short of the transformative changes needed to stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis."
Australian brewery reduces carbon footprint with rooftop solar
More from Renewable Energy World: "Moon Dog Brewing, an independent Australian craft brewery based out of Melbourne, is exploring ways to reduce its carbon footprint and drive environmental sustainability. To this end, the Moon Dog team selected Energis, a residential and commercial energy solutions company, to design a solar system that would reduce their reliance on using energy from the grid and lower their energy costs. Energis designed, installed and commissioned a 99.85 kW rooftop mounted solar system utilising 317 solar panels powered by FIMER's PVS-100 inverter. ... This follows a general trend spanning the beer industry worldwide, with smaller independent brew pubs and large international beer companies seeing the potential that solar power holds when it comes to offsetting the energy-intensive process of beer-making."
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Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).
- D.J. Kayser
