Cold air to settle in behind overnight snowfall

Once again it appears that far northwest Minnesota will miss out on the next snow event. So far this season, Fargo, N.D. has accumulated 4.5 inches of snow, with 0.9 inches falling in December.  All of Minnesota will experience colder temperatures as we close out December and move into January.

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Shaded area under a Winter Weather Advisory tonight. Image:National Weather Service

The Weather Prediction Center favors a band of 4 inches or more from about Redwood Falls through the Twin Cities to Eau Claire between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. Saturday.

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Probability of snowfall accumulating 4 inches or more in the next 24 hours. Image:NOAA

Radar indicating snow beginning to increase in coverage in southeast South Dakota late this afternoon.

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Screen capture of radar at 315 p.m. CST. Image;Intellicast.com

If you have travel plans tonight, expect snow to ice up roads as we move later into the evening in the advisory area.

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There has only been 1.4 inches of snow in the Twin Cities for the month.  You may have to quickly relearn your winter driving skills.

Track the latest on this changing wintry weather from the National Weather Service by clicking here.

Here's the latest statement from the Chanhassen National Weather Service on this developing snowfall.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

341 PM CST FRI DEC 26 2014

...ACCUMULATING SNOW TO FALL ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND

WESTERN WISCONSIN TONIGHT...

.A BAND OF 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW...WITH LOCALIZED AMOUNTS NEAR

6 INCHES POSSIBLE...WILL FALL TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING MAINLY

SOUTHEAST OF A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS TO MAPLE GROVE

MINNESOTA...TO LUCK WISCONSIN. SNOW WILL RAPIDLY EXPAND ACROSS

SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BETWEEN 6 PM AND 9 PM AND WESTERN WISCONSIN

BETWEEN 9 PM AND MIDNIGHT THIS EVENING. THIS SNOW WILL TAPER OFF

ACROSS MINNESOTA EARLY SATURDAY MORNING AND ACROSS WESTERN

WISCONSIN LATE SATURDAY MORNING.

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National weather map for Saturday morning. Image:National Weather Service.

Arctic air is scheduled to arrive as we move through the weekend and into next week.

High temperatures on Sunday are expected to be closer to the seasonal normals.  Least we forget, the normal maximum/minimum at International Falls is 16/4 below.

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Maximum temperatures for Sunday. Image:National Weather Service.

Northern Minnesota will be deeply entrenched in the winter chill next week.

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Image:National Weather Service Grand Forks, North Dakota

 

The Climate Prediction Center sees this cold extending into the new year.

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Odds heavily favor colder than normal weather in our neck of the woods.