Breathing some life into Old Man Winter

Temperatures were several degrees above normal this morning and a strong south wind should be sufficient to push the mercury well into the 30s in southern Minnesota. We could reach 40 degrees in the Twin Cities this afternoon.

The conundrum for the forecast of snow amounts is when the precipitation will change to all snow and how much energy remains in the mid levels of the atmosphere tonight. We'll see precipitation increasing in coverage in western Minnesota and the eastern Dakotas as the morning progresses. A Winter Weather Advisory has been posted for western and northern Minnesota for today and tonight. The region from Moorhead through Bemidji to Ely has the best opoprtunity to see three to five inches of accumulation by Tuesday morning.

In east central Minnesota precipitation is expected to begin as a mixture of rain and sleet around dusk. Precipitation will then change to all snow later in the evening. In the Twin Cities metro area look for the possibility of a couple of inches of snow overnight.

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Here's a look how the forecasters at NOAA expect liquid precipitation to dampen the landscape today and tonight.

This is welcome moisture after the dry winter we have experienced to date. The US Drought Monitor had much of the state of Minnesota in moderate drought as of last week.

Snow contiunes to fall in Wisconsin Tuesday, with a couple of inches possible from Eau Claire to Ashland. There will not be an invasion of cold air in the wake of the precipitation. Temperatures will be in the 30s in southern Minnesota Tuesday afternoon.

Another bout of accumulating snow is possible in central Minnesota Wednesday night and Thursday.

Stay tuned this week, the weather pattern looks a little frisky. Much colder temperatures may be in the offing for the upcoming weekend.

CE