Weekend split; Saturday sun/Sunday snow? All about snowflakes

0.9" snowfall Friday at MSP Airport

Near 0 early Saturday morning in metro

-10 to -20 in Grand Forks, Fargo. Bemidji. Brainerd, Grand Rapids, International Falls, Ely, Duluth & much of northern Minnesota Saturday morning

Teens in the metro Saturday

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Low 30s by Sunday

Sunday snow likely (early range of 1" to 3" pending Saturday model runs)

Friday Clipper delivered as expected:

Well at least we finally got some snow in southern Minnesota!

Friday's clipper left a thin snowy coating in the metro, and a few inches in southern Minnesota.

NWS snow totals show a range of 0.8" (Chanhassen NWS) to 1.8"(Andover) in the metro.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

329 PM CST FRI JAN 20 2012

...SNOW AMOUNTS FROM THE JANUARY 20TH STORM...

THE TOTALS ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.

SNOW REPORTS LISTED BY AMOUNT

INCHES LOCATION ST COUNTY TIME

------ ----------------------- -- -------------- -------

4.50 COMFREY MN BROWN 0920 AM

4.20 FAIRMONT MN MARTIN 1106 AM

4.00 ALBERT LEA MN FREEBORN 0920 AM

3.80 MADELIA MN WATONWAN 0323 PM

3.00 VESTA MN REDWOOD 0106 PM

0.18 INCHES OF MOISTURE.

3.00 NEW ULM MN BROWN 1051 AM

3.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 1040 AM

3.00 SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 1032 AM

3.00 WINNEBAGO MN FARIBAULT 0800 AM

3.00 WSW ST JAMES MN WATONWAN 0654 AM

2.80 NE FAIRMONT MN MARTIN 0700 AM

2.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0817 AM

2.00 ALBERT LEA MN FREEBORN 0800 AM

2.00 1 NNW SPRINGFIELD MN BROWN 0700 AM

1.90 1 ESE MILROY MN REDWOOD 0700 AM

1.80 ANDOVER MN ANOKA 0323 PM

1.70 NORTH MANKATO MN NICOLLET 0700 AM

1.40 ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 0159 PM

1.30 PLYMOUTH MN HENNEPIN 0107 PM

1.20 MADISON MN LAC QUI PARLE 0800 AM

1.00 NORTH ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 0310 PM

1.00 NORTH ST PAUL MN RAMSEY 0107 PM

1.00 WACONIA MN CARVER 1249 PM

1.00 MANKATO MN BLUE EARTH 0719 AM

0.90 MINNEAPOLIS MN HENNEPIN 1226 PM

MEASURED AT THE MINNEAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL

AIRPORT.

0.80 CHANHASSEN MN CARVER 1226 PM

MEASURED AT THE NWS OFFICE.

0.50 ST CLOUD MN STEARNS 1226 PM

MEASURED AT THE PRISON.

All about snowflakes:

Speaking of snowflakes, if you've ever wondered about "stellar dendrites" and "hexagonal plates" check out one of the most fascinating resources I've ever seen.

Snowcrystals.com is the beautiful work of Caltech physicist and snowflake guru Kenneth G. Libbrecht. Ken is a North Dakota boy who grew up fascinated by snowflakes, and tuned it into a life's work.

I have interviewed Ken on Jet Streaming. His beautiful images and explanations are the stuff of atmospheric magic!

Classic January Saturday:

This is how January was meant to be in Minnesota. Hockey Day in Minnesota will feature great games and perfect pond hockey tourney weather on outdoor ice.

Sunshine, light morning winds and temps starting near zero and rising through the teens will make for fast ice and a good looking January Saturday! Winds will increase from the south later Saturday and Saturday night.

The southerly winds will pull up some milder air...and moisture for Sunday.

On track for Sunday snow:

A chink of that massive Seattle storm will break off and head toward Minnesota by Sunday.

At this early point, the system looks good for some snow in Minnesota.

It's still too early to pinpoint any snow totals, but the general notion of a broad band of 1" to 3" seems reasonable at this point. Some heavier totals may fall in northern Minnesota with this system.

Models suggest an early range of 1" to 3" Sunday in the metro.

We'll crunch the numbers this weekend before the snow flies at the Weather Lab and put some more solid totals out Saturday PM after a few more model runs.

Stay tuned!

PH