It has been 51 straight days since the Twin Cities has seen a plowable (2-plus inches) snowfall. Commuters may be relieved, but Minnesota snow lovers are apoplectic. “Paul, you promised!” I did?
Since 2000, there have been just 10 winters with above average snowfall (30-year average at MSP is 51.2 inches). Just three years ago the metro picked up a whopping 90.3 inches, the third snowiest on record. Since then, we’ve fallen off a cliff. Plenty of cold air, but not the perfect mix of cold and moisture necessary for big piles of white fluff. It’s human nature to search for a smoking gun. Climate change, La Niña, maybe the Vikings? It may just be natural, random variability; being in the right place at the right time.
Just rain Tuesday, but models are fairly consistent with a storm tracking from Denver to just south of MSP by Friday. Plowable snow is increasingly possible. Not a slam-dunk, but the first good chance we’ve had in weeks.
A chilly weekend gives way to more 30s next week. Intermission was great (50s in February), but don’t write off winter just yet.
