At Least 2-6" Of Snow Across Central And Southern Minnesota Thursday Into Early Friday

As a surface low moves across the Upper Midwest during the second half of the week, we will see a better chance of accumulating snow moving across particularly central and southern Minnesota Thursday into Friday. Already by the midday hours Thursday, snow will be falling across southern Minnesota, pushing northward as we head through the afternoon hours - moving in just before the evening commute in the metro. This snow will continue to fall across the region through Thursday Night before quickly moving out Friday morning.

Right now the best potential of seeing 6"+ of snow will be across southern Minnesota - mainly around and south of I-90 (in areas like Rochester and La Crosse) - as well as out in parts of western Minnesota. Elsewhere - stretching north up to about the Little Falls and Alexandria areas, 2-6" of snow can be expected, including in the metro.

Due to the expected snowfall, Winter Weather Advisories are in effect where 2-6" of snow is possible. In areas under Winter Storm Warnings, snow totals up to 8" are in the forecast.

So we will watch those snow chances on Thursday here in the metro - especially from the afternoon into the overnight hours. Temperatures remain in the low to mid-30s throughout the day. Stronger easterly winds at 10-15 mph could cause some reduced visibility due to blowing snow.

With snow chances - especially across western, central and southern Minnesota - on Thursday, highs will climb into the 30s across much of the state.

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We have one more snow chance as we head into the weekend here across the state as a clipper moves on through. The best chances of snow in the metro will be from midday Saturday into Sunday morning, then again another light chance Sunday Night. While it is really early to be attempting to forecast totals, the potential of 2-5" might exist with this for the metro, with heavier totals up across northern Minnesota.

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Couple of Snow Events Into The Weekend
By Paul Douglas

"How do you live out there?" I hear this quite a bit from friends and family who live in milder climates. My response is direct. "Good boots, a retractable roof on my home - and a gifted travel agent."

At this point I'm not sure how we avoid an 85"+ Top 5 Snowfall Winter in the Twin Cities. That may be our manifest destiny this year.

Hardly Snowpocalypse, snow will come in two waves: this afternoon into early Friday, again Saturday afternoon into Sunday morning. Maybe 3-5" by lunchtime Friday and another 2-4" by midday Sunday, for a grand total of 6-8" for many towns and suburbs. If you like snow, you're welcome. If you you're allergic to frozen water, blame the Minnesota State Hockey Tournament. All those slap shots irritate Old Man Winter. I read it on Twitter.

Just think, in 2 months we'll be tracking storms and skeeters, whining about the humidity.

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Paul's Extended Twin Cities Forecast

THURSDAY: 3-5" snow possible. Wake up 31. High 34. Chance of precipitation 100%. Wind E 10-20 mph.

FRIDAY: Flurries taper, skies brighten. Wake up 26. High 33. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind NE 8-13 mph.

SUNDAY: Metro flurries, heavier snow north. Wake up 28. High 33. Chance of precipitation 60%. Wind E 15-30 mph.

MONDAY: Peeks of sun, stiff breeze. Wake up 26. High 32. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind NW 15-25 mph.

TUESDAY: Clouds increase, a dry sky. Wake up 18. High 33. Chance of precipitation 20%. Wind SE 10-15 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Chance of a light mix. Wake up 28. High 36. Chance of precipitation 40%. Wind SE 10-20 mph.

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*Length Of Day: 11 hours, 34 minutes, and 9 seconds
*Daylight GAINED Since Yesterday: 3 minutes and 8 seconds

*When do we see 12 Hours of Daylight?: March 18th (12 hours, 2 minutes, 31 seconds)
*Earliest Sunrise Before DST Begins: March 11th (6:33 AM)
*Latest Sunset Before DST Begins: March 11th (6:13 PM)

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This Day in Weather History
March 9th

1918: A snowstorm hits Minnesota and dumps nearly 11 inches at the Twin Cities.

A messy Thursday is expected across much of the nation, as we watch snow across the northern tier of states and into the western United States. Heavy rain will be possible at lower elevations in California and across the Southern Plains and Deep South. A few of those storms in the southern U.S. could be strong. The driest weather will be in the Four Corners region and in parts of the Eastern United States.

Through the end of the week, we will track heavy rain across the West Coast and in portions of the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley, where 3"+ tallies are expected. While 6"+ of snow will be possible in the upper Midwest, feet of snow will fall in the western mountains.

As an area of low-pressure slides across the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley during the second half of the week, we will be watching the potential of heavy snow at times from Wednesday Night across the Dakotas to the Great Lakes by Thursday Night. At times, particularly across southern Minnesota, northern Iowa, and southern Wisconsin late Thursday into Thursday night, snowfall rates up to 1" per hour will be possible. The heaviest area of snow with this system is expected to fall across parts of northeastern Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, and southern Wisconsin, where tallies of 6-10" will be possible - this includes Rochester (MN), Waterloo (IA), Madison and Milwaukee (WI). This is also the area that has the highest potential of 1" per hour snowfall rates into Thursday Night. Tallies of 3-6" will be possible for areas like Sioux Falls, the Twin Cities, and Detroit. This snow will impact several rush hour commute periods over the next few days across the region.

Forecast loop from 5 AM PST Thursday to 5 PM PST Saturday.

Meanwhile, we will see another strong system move into the western United States Thursday into Friday, producing heavy rain across California and Nevada with heavy snow in the mountains. That is when the heaviest precipitation is expected across the region. However, precipitation will linger as we head into the weekend. Another system looks to then impact the region early next week. With widespread rain expected in the western United States through the weekend, rainfall tallies of up to 7" in some locations (especially in coastal areas, the foothills, and the mountains) will be possible through Saturday morning.

Treasury Secretary Yellen warns that losses tied to climate change could 'cascade through the financial system'

More from CNBC: "Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday warned that climate change is already taking a significant economic toll and could cause extensive losses to the U.S. financial system in the coming years. Yellen made the remarks during the first meeting with the Climate-related Financial Risk Advisory Committee (CFRAC), an advisory board that was set up last year by the Financial Stability Oversight Council in an effort to bolster U.S. action to minimize climate risk to the economy. "As climate change intensifies, natural disasters and warming temperatures can lead to declines in asset values that could cascade through the financial system," she said during the meeting. "A delayed and disorderly transition to a net-zero economy can lead to shocks to the financial system as well.""

Kerry: China tensions hurting climate talks

More from Axios: "U.S. climate envoy John Kerry tells Axios his work with China has stalled amid wider tensions between the world's two largest greenhouse gas emitters. Driving the news: "Regrettably, in the last year ... what was not supposed to happen has happened, which is the climate issue has gotten mixed up into all the other tensions that exist between our countries," Kerry said in an interview at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference. "And so they've kind of pulled back a little bit, expressing the feeling that all we're doing is bashing them and bashing them," he said. Why it matters: It's impossible to meet the Paris Agreement's goals for holding global warming in check without more aggressive steps by China, the world's top current emitter."

A warm February wrapped up a warm winter for U.S.

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Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

- D.J. Kayser