Minnesota Weather: 2-Day Storm To Bring Inches Of Fresh Snow, Strong Winds

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — After a stretch of dry and mild weather, change is coming to Minnesota. A storm system is moving toward the state, expected to bring strong winds and several inches of fresh snow.

Meteorologist Chris Shaffer says Minnesota is 5.2 inches below average for snow in January — but we’ll get back on pace with the help of this storm.

This coming system is a sloppy one. It will enter Minnesota as rain late Wednesday evening, then it will turn to mixed precipitation early Thursday morning before it transitions to snow.

We go from mild to wild. Expect a brief round of mixed precipitation early tomorrow followed by more snow later in the day into Friday. The wind will be strong to the west as well. pic.twitter.com/LhEQNxj1af

— Chris Shaffer (@WCCOShaffer) January 13, 2021

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Its low pressure center will continue to provide snowfall Thursday afternoon, evening, night and into the day on Friday. That’s why the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch that includes all of the Twin Cities. Northwestern Minnesota will be under a Winter Weather Advisory.

Another factor in this storm will be the wind. Gusts over 40 mph are expected in southwestern Minnesota on Thursday afternoon. On Friday morning, wind gusts could reach 50 mph, creating the potential for blowing snow and hazardous travel conditions.

Twin Cities can expect about 3-6 inches of snow, and parts of southern Minnesota — particularly near Mankato and Rochester — could see 7 or more inches.

Looking ahead to the weekend, the weather looks to be dry with high temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s, which is about average for this time of year. Shaffer says we may be in for a big temperature drop in about a week and a half.

Source: CBS Minnesota