How fast will it melt?

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7" of snow still buries the lawn at the Huttner Weather Lab today.

The weather maps look like winter today. Fortunately they look a lot more like spring by mid-week.

Anyone who lives here knows March is a very changeable month in Minnesota. WCCO-TV news legend Dave Moore used to say; "Make no big decisions in March."

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It appears this month will be no different. March came in with a cold slap in the face, and hopefully our last sub-zero reading of the season here in the metro. A kinder gentler southerly south wind will blow the rest of this week. That should boost temperatures into the 40's by Wednesday. We'll be melting most of the 5" of snow at MSP Airport by the end of the week it appears.

We've had 34 days this winter with lows below zero in the metro. That's close to the seasonal average of 30 days. It's never safe to go out on a limb here, but I believe we may have seen our last sub-zero low for the metro. Central and northern Minnesota will likely dip below zero again this month.

March snowfall averages 10.4" so it gets pretty white around here at times. The medium range maps are hinting at a 1-2 punch rain & snow system this weekend after our thaw. At least rain is a possibility now, and what snow we get doesn't tend to stick around too long in March.

Wishful thinking on a winter like day in meteorological spring!

PH