Snow & Blowing Snow Concerns Through Saturday

Forecast precipitation from Midnight Thursday Night through Noon Saturday.

We are watching a system that will impact the state - particularly southern/eastern Minnesota into Wisconsin - as we head through Friday and into the first half of Saturday. This is expected to be a longer-duration light to moderate snowfall rate event - so, the 4-7" of snow for the metro will fall over a 24-36 hour period.

Here's a look at potential snowfall from the upcoming system (some of the snow along the North Shore is due to lake effect on Thursday). Across the metro, I expect 4-7" of snow, with the highest totals on the south and east sides of town. Areas of southeastern Minnesota could see 9"+ of snowfall. Once you get northwest of St. Cloud, totals are likely to quickly taper off.

We will also watch strong northerly winds throughout the system across the state, with gusts approaching 35 mph in the metro but could top 50 mph Saturday in Grand Marais. This will lead to blowing snow and reduced visibility, especially in areas that receive fresh snowfall as the snow is expected to be of a lighter, drier nature.

Due to this expected winter weather system, Winter Storm Warnings are in place across southern Minnesota where the odds are highest for at least 6" of snow. Blizzard Warnings are also in place due to the strong winds blowing the snow around, causing whiteout conditions. On the north side of that, a Winter Weather Advisory is in place for snowfall tallies of 2-7". These advisories include the metro area.

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We will watch light to moderate snow throughout the day in the metro on Friday. Temperatures will start in the low teens before climbing to around 20F for highs.

We'll see snow chances across the state on Friday, again with the highest chances probably in southern and eastern Minnesota over into Wisconsin with that system moving in. Highs range from the single digits in western Minnesota to some 20s in eastern parts of the state.

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The coldest air of the season is on the way as we head into the weekend and early next week. Here's a look at just the highs between Saturday and Tuesday. Sunday and Monday appear to be the coldest days of this cold stretch across the state, with temperatures possibly staying subzero in the Twin Cities. The last time MSP saw a high at or below 0F was back on December 23, 2022, when the high was -2F.

And here's a look at lows. From Sunday through Tuesday morning, lows statewide (even along the North Shore) are expected to drop into the subzero range. The last subzero low at MSP was back on February 24, 2023 (-8F), and the last low of at least -10F was on February 3, 2023 (-13F).

Meanwhile, morning wind chill values are expected to dip into the -20s and -30s (even -40s) from Sunday through Tuesday mornings.

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Snow & Blowing Snow Concerns Through Saturday
By D.J. Kayser, filling in for Paul Douglas

Kansas City. Sioux City. Sioux Falls. Des Moines. Chicago. Cleveland. Denver and Colorado Springs. What do all these cities have in common? Well, they've all received more snow than the 6.4" that has fallen so far at MSP this winter. It's like we're living in our own little snow-hole!

However, for those who have been wishing for snow, it looks to finally be on the way! Through midday Saturday, a longer-duration snow event will occur across southern/eastern Minnesota into Wisconsin, with constant light to moderate snowfall. 4-7" totals are expected for the metro (highest totals south and east), with parts of southeastern Minnesota nearing 9". Once you get northwest of St. Cloud, totals are likely to quickly taper off. Northerly winds will gust up to 35 mph, leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.

After that, a real blast of cold Canadian air moves in, with potentially subzero highs Sunday and Monday. The last MSP subzero high was -2F on December 23, 2022, and the last low -10F or below was on February 3, 2023 (-13F).

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D.J.'s Extended Twin Cities Forecast

FRIDAY: Snow & blowing snow. Wake up 12. High 22. Chance of precipitation 90%. Wind N 15-30 mph.

SATURDAY: Snow ends. 4-7" totals. Wake up 9. High 11. Chance of precipitation 70%. Wind NW 15-30 mph.

SUNDAY: Cold. PM feels like: -20F to -25F. Wake up -8. High 0. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind NW 10-25 mph.

MONDAY: Bundle up! Wind chills: -20F to -30F. Wake up -10. High -1. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 10-20 mph.

TUESDAY: Sunshine returns. Still cold, blustery. Wake up -8. High 6. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 10-15 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Out of the freezer. Late day snow? Wake up -1. High 14. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind W 10-15 mph.

THURSDAY: Cloudy and still breezy. Wake up 3. High 13. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind NW 10-15 mph.

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Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
January 12th

*Length Of Day: 9 hours, 4 minutes, and 21 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 1 minute and 35 seconds

*When Do We Climb Above 10 Hours Of Daylight? February 6th (10 hours, 0 minutes, 34 seconds)
*When Are Sunrises At/Below 7:30 AM? February 3rd (7:30 AM)
*When Are Sunsets At/After 5 PM? January 18th (5:01 PM)
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This Day in Weather History
January 12th

2000: Snow falls in a narrow band over the Twin Cities. Maplewood receives 5.5 inches, while Chanhassen gets 12.

1888: The infamous 'Blizzard of '88' occurs. It hit during a mild day when many children were heading home from school. They made up the majority of the 200 people that died. At the end of the storm the thermometer at St. Paul read -37.

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Messy weather continues across the nation on Friday as we watch a system cross the central United States. That will bring heavy snow to the upper Midwest and severe storms across the Southeast.

We'll see the potential of 3"+ of rainfall across the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and coastal areas of Oregon and northern California through the first half of the weekend.

Heavy snow continues to slam the western U.S. mountains through the end of the week, with several feet possible - especially in the Cascades. As we watch that system in the upper Midwest over the next couple of days, areas from Nebraska to Michigan could see 6-12" fall.

On Friday, we're also tracking the potential for another round of severe weather containing high winds and strong tornadoes across the Southeastern United States, with an Enhanced Risk (threat level 3/5) in place.

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Gasoline is cheap right now — but charging an EV is still cheaper

More from Yale Climate Connections: "It was easy to make the case for the low cost of electric vehicle charging way back in 2022 when gasoline prices were high and charging an EV was about 70% cheaper than filling up at the pump. But now that the price of gasoline is dipping below $3 per gallon, is it still cheaper to fill up a car on electrons rather than gasoline? The answer is yes — by a lot. By far the least expensive and least polluting option is to get around on foot, bike, or public transit. But if you need a personal vehicle, EVs cost less to drive compared to a similar gasoline-powered vehicle, and they also emit less carbon pollution. ... In most parts of the country, charging an EV is equivalent to a gasoline price of $1 to $2 per gallon. The national average is $1.41 per eGallon, which is less than half the current gasoline price of $3.09 (as of Jan. 5, 2024)."

World's renewable energy capacity grew at record pace in 2023

More from The Guardian: "Global renewable energy capacity grew by the fastest pace recorded in the last 20 years in 2023, which could put the world within reach of meeting a key climate target by the end of the decade, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The world's renewable energy grew by 50% last year to 510 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, the 22nd year in a row that renewable capacity additions set a new record, according to figures from the IEA. The "spectacular" growth offers a "real chance" of global governments meeting a pledge agreed at the Cop28 climate talks in November to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 to significantly reduce consumption of fossil fuels, the IEA added."

World's two largest coal consumers won't be weaning off the fossil fuel anytime soon

More from CNBC: "China and India's growing economies will continue to fuel demand for coal even as they set ambitious renewable energy targets, according to experts. While China is the world's largest energy consumer, India is ranked third globally, and both countries are the top consumers of coal as they strive to fuel economic growth. China's share of global electricity consumption, 60% of which is generated by coal, is set to jump to one-third by 2025, compared with a quarter in 2015, according to projections by energy watchdog International Energy Agency. India's rapidly growing economy also means the country's demand for energy including oil and natural gas will be significant, said managing director of energy investment management firm Tortoise Capital, Rob Thummel."

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser