The pattern of being hit by a winter storm and then falling in a quiet period of a few weeks has been the norm so far this winter in Minnesota and it happens to have been a little over two weeks since the state was hit hard by a storm.
Nearly 9 centimeters of snow were thrown in the Twin Cities two days before Christmas, followed by a few centimeters on December 29. Since then, only a trace of snow has been recorded. That could change by the end of this week if a storm system is forecast to swirl over the Rocky Mountains and southwestern Canada will move southeast through the region.
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“A little damp later in the week. Maybe Thursday’s rain will start to turn to snow, different scenarios in terms of accumulations,” says meteorologist Sven Sundgaard.
“We seem to be seeing some snow, especially on Thursday night, when things cool down to Friday. The European model is actually the most aggressive of this period – a few inches of snow possible in the western part of the state on Thursday, and then it probably translates to snow for us (in the Twin Cities) at some point, after we see a mix on Thursday. ”
According to the Twin Cities Bureau of the National Meteorological Service, “there is growing support for a more southerly path” of the system, including the European model that currently projects what the weather service says would be “much bigger problems than light rain, icy rain and snow showers. ”
“It has a full-scale blizzard in eastern Dakota and western MN from Thursday to Friday,” says the NWS Twin Cities forecast discussion of the European model.
Nothing is guaranteed so much before the storm system, as it could easily remain in the north and affect Canada, leaving Minnesota light and mostly dry at the same time.
However, the NWS Duluth Office notes in its forecast discussion that the guidance model indicates “increasing probabilities of significant snow accumulation” in its forecast area in northern Minnesota.