First snow comes early, sun returns this week

The season's first snowfall is in the books for most of southern Minnesota. This year, it arrived a full month earlier than in 2012.

Nov. 5 -- first inch of snow at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in 2013 (2.2 inches official National Weather Service storm total at MSP Airport)

Dec. 9 -- first inch at MSP in 2012 (10.5 inches total)

Nov. 19 -- Average date of first inch at MSP Airport

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About 2" of slush coats a lonely Adirondack chair at the Weather Lab in the west metro Tuesday night. Image: Paul Huttner/MPR News

The storm delivered heavy wet snow to southwest Minnesota. Totals between 5 and 10 inches were common in southwest Minnesota and eastern South Dakota.

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Image: Twin Cities NWS

The golden snow shovel goes to Pipestone, Minn., where a whopping 10 inches fell west of town.

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Image: Sioux Falls NWS

In the Twin Cities snowfall totals ranged from 1 inch to 3.5 inches. Here are some selected totals.

Watertown, 3.5 inches

Richfield, 3 inches

MSP Airport, 2.2 inches

Cambridge and Jordan, 1.8 inches

Prior Lake, 1.5 inches

Here's the updated map from the Twin Cities NWS. Note the impressive 4 inch totals northwest and west of the Twin Cities.

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Image: Twin Cities NWS

You can keep track of updated snowfall totals from the Twin Cities NWS here as they come in.

Icy start, but sun returns today

MnDOT and your local road crew had roads in good shape early today. With temperatures just below freezing, it was be a little icy underfoot in the morning. The sun will return and some of the snow and ice will begin to melt as temps climb above the freezing point.

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Image: Weatherspark

A freeze-thaw forecast is in the cards the rest of the week, with sub-freezing nights and milder days.

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Image: Twin Cities NWS

Most of the snow should be gone by this weekend. Temperatures in the 40s look likely this weekend.

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Image: Weatherspark