4-7" Of Snow For The Metro Through Thursday

Forecast loop between 6 PM Wednesday and 6 PM Thursday.

We continue to watch a winter storm that is on the way for southern and eastern Minnesota tonight into Thursday.

A band of 6-9" of snow is expected to fall across parts of south-central Minnesota into western Wisconsin, including areas like Fairmont, Rochester, the south and east metro, and Eau Claire. It looks like across the metro 4-7" is expected - heaviest on the south and east sides, lowest in the northwest metro.

Due to the expected snow across the region Wednesday Night into Thursday, Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in place.

So we'll watch the snowy conditions on Thursday across southern and eastern parts of the state. While the heaviest will be in the early morning, lighter snow showers will likely linger into the afternoon hours. Northwestern Minnesota will be quiet but cloudy with highs in the teens. Parts of southern Minnesota could get up to around freezing, including in the metro.

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The good news is we'll see quieter weather as we head into the weekend with a mix of sun and clouds and highs that are still around to slightly above average in the mid to upper 20s.

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While models keep us in the 20s through the middle of next week, after that we see a definite downturn in the temperatures. The good news is it won't be overly cold with highs in the teens - however, it'll be cooler than what we've seen recently.

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Plowable Snow - Cold Correction In Sight
By Paul Douglas

This winter, when in doubt, predict snow. Odds are you'll be right. We are just past the midpoint of winter and we've already picked up an ENTIRE WINTER'S worth of snow! The 30-year average for an entire winter's snowfall is 52", and after today's snow we're pretty much there.

3-6" of snow is anticipated before snow tapers to flurries later today. Plowable but hardly Snowmageddon.

Speaking of averages, the new 30-year average for the number of subzero nights at MSP every winter is 20. So far the metro area has dipped below 0F 6 times; right before Christmas. A few more subzero nights are possible the last few days of January, but no prolonged polar pain is in sight, no week after week of negative numbers and painful wind chill. I consider that a small victory.

Needing crampons to get the mail and messing with snow rakes is not my definition of fun, but we've gone from extreme drought to moderate drought in the metro area and southern Minnesota. All that snow is water in our lakes in a few short months.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

THURSDAY: Snow tapers, 3-6". Wake up 26. High 31. Chance of precipitation 100%. Wind N 10-20 mph.

FRIDAY: Peeks of sun, better travel. Wake up 18. High 25. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.

SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy and dry. Wake up 16. High 29. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind SW 7-12 mph.

SUNDAY: Leftover clouds, quiet. Wake up 18. High 25. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 5-10 mph.

MONDAY: Clouds, few flurries. Wake up 18. High 29. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind W 7-12 mph.

TUESDAY: Gray, more flaky fun. Wake up 16. High 25. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind NW 7-12 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Light snow, turning colder. Wake up 12. High 23. Chance of precipitation 60%. Wind NW 10-20 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
January 19th

*Length Of Day: 9 hours, 17 minutes, and 36 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 2 minutes and 0 seconds

*When do we see 10 Hours of Daylight?: February 6th (10 hours, 1 minutes, 13 seconds)
*When is Sunrise at/before 7:30 AM?: February 3rd (7:30 AM)
*When is Sunset at/after 5:30 PM?: February 8th (5:30 PM)

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This Day in Weather History
January 19th

1994: The cold continues from the previous day with a low of -47 at Brainerd and, despite the heat island effect, the Twin Cities' airport hit -27.

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A Colorado Low continues to move northeast into the Great Lakes on Thursday, bringing the potential of heavy snow in the Upper Midwest, some icing in the Great Lakes and Northeast, and storms along a cold front into the Southeast. Some scattered snow will be possible out west.

The heaviest snow through the end of the week will be with that system moving through the Upper Midwest, where an additional 6-12"+ could fall and some in Nebraska could see overall totals of 18"+. 1-3" of rain could fall in the Ohio and mid-Mississippi Valleys.

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California's storms are almost over. Its reckoning with flood insurance is about to begin.

More from Grist: "From failed levees in the Central Valley counties of Merced and Sacramento to overflowing rivers along the coast, the rains touched almost every part of the state, with many areas receiving four to six times above average precipitation for the past several weeks. Mudslides closed major roads, thousands of homes were flooded, and trees knocked out power lines, with over 13,000 electric customers yet to regain service as of Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologists expect that by Thursday, the last storm, this time a weaker one, will have cleared from the northern and central parts of California. But in the coming weeks, as flood waters recede and the rains' full impact comes into view, many residents may find themselves facing a second crisis: A widespread lack of flood insurance that will leave thousands of homeowners grappling with the cost of repairing and rebuilding homes."

Some health risks from climate change in Florida may surprise. This one affects millions

More from the Miami Herald: "Some of the health impacts of climate change are obvious and already apparent in Florida, such as more cases of heat stress and mosquito-borne tropical diseases. But it may be surprising that as climate conditions intensify, health experts say it also will increase the risk of sickness and death for people with diabetes. That's significant for Florida, where a staggering 1 in 10 residents are part of the nationwide diabetes epidemic according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many at the highest risk, experts say, are the poor and communities of color."

Climate law fuels solar vs. wind battle

More from Politico: "President Joe Biden's $369 billion climate law promises to drive down the cost of solar power and battery technology — but that new economic landscape could also throw a curveball in regions with big wind plans. Iowa's largest-ever wind energy proposal is now the subject of fierce criticism from some of the biggest champions of renewable power: environmental groups and tech companies that are eager for carbon-free electricity to run their data centers, writes POLITICO's E&E News reporter Jeffrey Tomich."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser