Who has the most snow?; Sunday snow update

Snow lovers must be smiling. Minnesota has plenty of snow cover right now for sledding, snowboarding and cross-country skiing.

Here's the latest Minnesota snow depth map from the Minnesota State Climatology Office:

rt216sno
Minnesota State Climatology Office/DNR

Have fun!

Temperature trends

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Saturday afternoon highs are expected to be in the teens across much of western Minnesota, with many spots in the east topping out around 20 degrees.  Southeastern Minnesota could see some lower 20s.

On Sunday, highs in the lower 20s are expected from the Twin Cities metro area through southeastern Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin:

rt217h4

On Monday Feb. 18, our average high temp is 30 degrees in the Twin Cities metro area.

We won’t reach 30 on Presidents Day this year:

rt218h

Some metro locations will touch 20 degrees on Monday. Metro highs dip to the mid-teens on Tuesday. We're expecting a high around 20 on Wednesday, then lower 20s Thursday and Friday.

Saturday night and Sunday snow

Southwestern Minnesota could see some scattered snow showers Saturday afternoon. Steadier snow moves into southwestern Minnesota this Saturday evening expands to the cover about the southern third of Minnesota overnight. The snow continues on Sunday.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential snow pattern Saturday evening through Sunday night:

rt216rad2
NOAA NAM simulated radar from Saturday evening through Sunday night, via tropicaltidbits

The heaviest snow is expected over southwestern and south-central Minnesota:

rt216mpx
NWS Twin Cities

The southwestern tip of the metro area could see 2 to 3 inches of snow by Sunday afternoon, but many metro locations should be closer to one inch.

Here are details of the winter weather advisory that starts at 9 p.m. Saturday in southwestern and south-central Minnesota:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN

645 AM CST Sat Feb 16 2019

...ACCUMULATING SNOW EXPECTED OVER SOUTHWESTERN AND SOUTHERN

MINNESOTA TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...

.Accumulating snow is expected tonight through Sunday evening for

southwestern and southern Minnesota. Total snow accumulations of

3 to 6 inches can be expected along and south of a line from

Appleton to Redwood Falls to New Ulm to Owatonna, with the

highest amounts around the Interstate 90 corridor. A Winter

Weather Advisory in effect for these areas. Plan on hazardous

travel conditions, including slippery roads and low visibilities.

Use extra caution while traveling.

MNZ054-064-073>075-082>085-091>093-162000-

/O.CON.KMPX.WW.Y.0016.190217T0300Z-190218T0600Z/

Lac Qui Parle-Yellow Medicine-Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Watonwan-

Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-

Including the cities of Madison, Granite Falls, Redwood Falls,

New Ulm, St Peter, St James, Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, Fairmont,

Blue Earth, and Albert Lea

645 AM CST Sat Feb 16 2019

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS

EVENING TO MIDNIGHT CST SUNDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches

expected, highest around the Interstate 90 corridor.

* WHERE...Portions of south central, southwest and west central

Minnesota.

* WHEN...From 9 PM this evening to midnight CST Sunday night.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on slippery road conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will

cause primarily travel difficulties. Expect snow covered roads

and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

The latest road conditions for Minnesota can be found at

511mn.org and for Wisconsin at 511wi.gov, or by calling 5 1 1 in

either state.

You can check the latest forecasts and advisories from the NWS offices in the Twin Cities, Sioux Falls, SD and La Crosse, WI.

As always, updated weather information can be heard on the Minnesota Public Radio Network, and you’ll also see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on Minnesota Public Radio at 7:49 a.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:35 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.