Outlook into March, little change

It would appear that the temporary pause of winter last week was just that, a pause. The longer range models are suggesting that we should anticipate a continuation of below normal temperatures and increasing chances for precipitation.

I was sifting through the models for the coming week and eye-balling the potential for more snow as we head towards Friday. Currently the track of the next precipitation producing system is favoring a southerly path through Iowa and Illinois. As my snow plow buddy told me last evening, you said that about this weekends storm. That's why weather is a twenty-four hour a day business and meteorologists are revising the forecasts.

Overall, once the confidence level on the path of this latest storm increased, forecasters called the snowfall amounts quite accurately. Timing was off slightly. We actually caught a break with the snow falling on the weekend.

Yesterdays accumulation of 11.8 inches at the Twin Cities International Airport was a record snowfall for February 20th. The water content of 0.85 inches was also a record.

This evening's snow eventually runs out of gas, but not before another inch or two, especially south and east of the Twin Cities. Travel with caution. Even the main roadways will be slick in spots.

Here's NOAA's outlook for temperatures the first week of March. Odds strongly favor below normal temperatures. Normal temperatures this time of year are highs in the lower ro middle thirties and lows in the teens. This outlook is confidence of colder temperatures. Colors do not magnify the departures from normal.