Thaw today, tracking Sunday snow from K.C. to Chicago

Blue Juice Alert

I hope you filled the windshield washer tank in your favorite ride today. Sloppy road spray is today's weather feature.

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The good news? Temps are headed in the right direction for many Minnesotans today. Today's thaw will be brief, just a few precious hours above the freezing point in southern Minnesota should give many an opportunity to scrape away some slush before it turns rock hard again tomorrow.

Here's the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts take on temps today, which favors mid 30s in the Twin Cities. More sun and we could go higher. If the clouds hang tough we may have to settle for low 30s but this looks pretty reasonable to me.

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Image: Weatherspark

Northern Minnesota settles for upper 20s, to near 30 degrees today, but that will feel pretty good compared to a frigid December so far.

Here's a look at forecast highs today across Minnesota, which may push 40 degrees in southwestern Minnesota along the Buffalo Ridge and Interstate 90 corridor.

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Image: NOAA

The one day warm push will feel like spring in places like Lawrence, Kan., and Topeka, Kan., west of Kansas City, Mo. Temps in the 60s a week before Christmas? Temps near 50 nudge  as far north as Des Moines, Iowa, today.

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Image: NOAA

Enjoy it. Kansas City is in line for some snow by Saturday night.

Cryosphere returns tomorrow

Temps fall below freezing again tonight, and stay there for the next few days as colder polar winds blow in from Canada behind the next cold front. Here's a look at metro temps which should bounce around in the teens the next few days.

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Image: NOAA

Snowy dusting Thursday

Our advancing polar plunge should squeeze out some light snow Thursday and Thursday night. Most of central and southern Minnesota looks in line for an inch or two of fresh powder. Here's the NAM snowfall output.

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Image: wxcaster.com

Tracking Sunday snowfall from K.C. to Chicago

The next low pressure system winds up in the central plains on the edge of the advancing cold dome Saturday night and Sunday. A good swath of 3 inches to 6 inches looks likely centered on Kansas City Saturday night, and Chicago Sunday.

Here's the Global Forecast System snowfall map centered on Kansas City.

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Image: wxcaster.com

And on Chicago.

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Image: wxcaster.com

If you are planning travel south on Interstate 35 or east on I-90/94 expect to hit some snow Saturday night and Sunday.

MNDOT: Tracking micro scale weather on the plows?

It's an interesting concept. Mobile weather 'mesonets' feeding back instant weather data from drivers into a centralized real-time weather hub to improve winter driving conditions?

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Image: Tim Nelson/MPR News

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is part of a pilot project using automated sensors on snow plows to feed back micro-scale weather conditions. The data can refine and localize weather and road conditions. If it works as well as expected, MnDOT may have much more detailed real-time weather and road data, helping to treat icy spots as they develop.

Here's more from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. (NCAR)

BOULDER—In the annual battle to keep roads clear of snow and ice, snowplows are about to get much more intelligent.

Officials in three states this winter are deploying hundreds of plows with custom-designed sensors that continually measure road and weather conditions. The new digital intelligence system, funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and built by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), is designed to reduce accidents and save states millions of dollars in winter maintenance costs.

The system, known as the Pikalert™ Enhanced Maintenance Decision Support System (EMDSS), is being activated on major highways across Michigan, Minnesota, and Nevada. If it passes key tests, it will be transferred to private vendors and become available to additional states in time for next winter.

“This offers the potential to transform winter driving safety,” said NCAR scientist Sheldon Drobot, who oversees the design of the system. “It gives road crews an incredibly detailed, mile-by-mile view of road conditions. They can quickly identify the stretches where dangerous ice and snow are building up.”

The new system combines the sensor measurements with satellite and radar observations and computer weather models, giving officials an unprecedented near-real time picture of road conditions. With updates every five to fifteen minutes, EMDSS will enable transportation officials to swiftly home in on dangerous stretches even before deteriorating conditions cause accidents.