Snow Monday Morning - Feeling Like Spring This Week!

Forecast loop from 7 PM Sunday to 7 PM Monday.

While this week will feature a lot of Spring-like weather, it's going to start on the wintry side. A clipper is expected to move through the state Sunday Night into Monday, bringing a narrow band of snow along with it.

Where that narrow band sets up across central Minnesota we could easily see 1-2.5" of snow later Sunday Night into Monday. In the metro, we could see snowfall amounts of 0.5-1.5", with the higher amounts currently expected on the north side of town. However, a shift of say 10-30 miles will make a difference on who receives the heavier snow.

Again, we will watch those snow chances (maybe mixing with some rain at times) as we head through mainly the morning hours here in the metro. Otherwise, sunnier skies will return later in the afternoon hours. Morning lows start off near 30F with highs climbing to around 40F.

So we'll have that band of snow - mixed with rain at times - across mainly central Minnesota on Monday. HIghs will range from the 20s up north to the 40s in southern Minnesota.

_______________________________________________

Who is ready for some Spring-like weather? I am! Temperatures are going to shoot upward as we head into the middle of the week, with a high around 50F on Tuesday and maybe rocketing up to the upper 50s Wednesday depending on how fast we can melt snow the next few days. Slightly cooler weather returns for the end of the week, but right now that just means highs in the upper 40s - still about 5F degrees above average. These highs look to pop back into the 50s next weekend.

_______________________________________________

Snow This Morning - Feeling Like Spring This Week!
By D.J. Kayser, filling in for Paul Douglas

We continue to get closer and closer to Spring melt season. The last update of the season, issued Thursday by local National Weather Service offices, continues to show an average flood threat across central and southern Minnesota. Meanwhile, we see an above average threat in northern Minnesota - especially in the Mississippi and Red River basins.

As of Sunday morning, there were 3" of snow on the ground at MSP. That'll be a lot closer to zero by the end of the week (minus plowed piles of snow) as highs climb into the 40s and 50s here in the metro. Just how warm we get will depend on how fast the snow melts across the region. Even some of our overnight lows look to stay above freezing, allowing that melting process to continue.

Some slick spots are possible heading out this morning due to fresh snow. An isolated sprinkle is possible midweek, otherwise, a generally quiet week of weather is ahead.

_______________________________________________

D.J.'s Extended Twin Cities Forecast

MONDAY: AM snow. PM sun. Wake up 30. High 40. Chance of precipitation 50%. Wind NE 5-10 mph.

TUESDAY: Filtered sunshine. Wake up 25. High 50. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind S 5-10 mph.

WEDNESDAY: Isolated sprinkle? Warm and cloudy. Wake up 38. High 55. Chance of precipitation 10%. Wind S 10-15 mph.

FRIDAY: Sun/cloud mix. Wake up 30. High 47. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind N 5-10 mph.

SATURDAY: Warming back up. PM passing clouds. Wake up 30. High 51. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind W 5-10 mph.

SUNDAY: Spring begins at 10:33 AM. Sun/cloud mix. Wake up 32. High 55. Chance of precipitation 0%. Wind S 5-10 mph.

_______________________________________________

Minneapolis Weather Almanac And Sun Data
March 14th

*When Do We See 12 Hours Of Daylight: March 17th (12 hours, 0 minutes, 9 seconds)
*When Is The Sunrise At/Before 7 AM?: March 29th (6:59 AM)
*When Is The Sunset At/After 7:30 PM?: March 24th (7:30 PM)

_______________________________________________

This Day in Weather History
March 14th

1943: Snow, sleet and ice cripple parts of Minnesota south of a line from Duluth through St. Cloud and Ortonville. The heaviest ice was in the vicinities of Lake Benton, Springfield and Windom. Ice thickness was 1/2 to 3/4 inch around St. Cloud to 3/4 to 2 inches in the Pipestone, Ruthton, Lake Wilson, Slayton and Tracy. A good description of the ice was submitted in one report: '…ice was 2 inches across and 1 3/4 inch deep on wire. A little frost ice near the wire with the outside solid ice. The ice was irregular in shape.' Duluth had 6 inches of snowfall at the city office with 13 inches at the airport. The ice was confined to Moose Lake and south.

1870: A severe snow and wind storm moves across Minnesota and Iowa. The 'Northern Vindicator' of Estherville, Iowa becomes the first newspaper to use the term 'blizzard' on this date.

A system moving into the Pacific Northwest on Monday will bring rain and snow chances. A clipper moving through the upper Midwest and Great Lakes will spread snow, ice, and rain chances across the region. Storms will be possible across portions of the Deep South and lower Mississippi Valley.

Heavier rain will be possible in portions of the Pacific Northwest (with over 3" possible) and in the Deep South (1-3") through the first part of the work week. The heaviest snow will be out in the Cascades, where feet are possible.

_______________________________________________

Boat access on drought-plagued Missouri River System could be problematic

More from the Bismarck Tribune: "Getting a fishing boat or a pontoon on the Missouri River System in North Dakota this summer could be tricky due to low water levels amid prolonged drought. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers predicts spring runoff to be well below normal for the upper Missouri River Basin. Runoff in February was less than expected, and the agency expects the trend to continue in coming months. That doesn't bode well for the dozens of boat ramps on the river system in North Dakota."

More from Gizmodo: "Russia's invasion of Ukraine has, in two long weeks, brought untold suffering and instability. Yet, where most reasonable observers see an escalating tragedy, Big Oil CEOs see an opportunity. That's according to a new analysis conducted by nonprofits BailoutWatch and Friends of the Earth, which claims at least five oil executives have cashed out nearly $99 million worth of stock since late February. Specifically, the organizations claim Hess Corporation's CEO sold 650,000 shares worth a total of $65 million between March 4 and March 8. Pioneer Natural Resources Director reportedly sold $10.6 million worth of shares between February 24 and March 3. Three other executives—Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield, Marathon Oil CEO Lee Tillman, and Continental Resources President Jack Stark—combined sold around $23.3 million worth of shares. "The CEOs of these companies have been caught cashing in on war," Lukas Ross, program manager at Friends of the Earth, said in a statement. "If we want to protect consumers from pain at the pump, or preserve a livable climate, it is clear the age of fossil fuels must end." The report, released Thursday, comes just two days after the U.S. announced it would ban Russian oil imports."

Chemical analysis reveals effects of wildfire smoke on grapes and wines

More from UC Santa Cruz: "As wildfire season in the West grows in length and severity, it is taking a toll on the wine industry through the effects of wildfire smoke on the quality of wine grapes. Volatile compounds in the smoke from wildfires can be absorbed by grapes and produce an unpleasant taste known as "smoke taint" in wines made from affected grapes. A new study led by scientists at UC Santa Cruz provides valuable data and guidelines for using analytical chemistry to identify grapes and wines affected by smoke taint. Published March 3 in the Journal of Natural Products, the study is based on an analysis of more than 200 samples of grapes and wine from 21 grape-growing regions in California and Oregon."

_______________________________________________

Thanks for checking in and have a great day! Don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@dkayserwx) and like me on Facebook (Meteorologist D.J. Kayser).