More snow. More cold. And then a chance for even more snow.
A respite from the realities of a Minnesota winter isn't looking likely anytime soon.
What began as a mild winter in early January took a turn toward the frigid when a polar vortex swept over the state, delivering the lowest temperatures in more than 20 years. On its heels came snowstorms in early February, further pushing Minnesota away from a forgiving winter.
As for the rest of February?
"It's going to be cold. That much we know," meteorologist Caleb Grunzke said Sunday. Snowfall totals are harder to predict, but models are suggesting the metro area may see up to three times the normal snow accumulation for February.
Snowfall totals so far this month in the Twin Cities are already double the 7.7 inches that's normal for an entire February. An additional 5 to 8 inches of light, fluffy snow is expected to fall Monday night into Tuesday, and there's a chance that Thursday night brings several more inches.
The piling snow is pushing the area toward an average winter, Grunzke said.
Still, those bemoaning this as an especially brutal season have some ammunition, considering that the bulk of the extreme winter weather has been jammed into the past two weeks.