March-like weather begins to moderate; Sunday the better day

After launching into the month of May as if it was the start of meteorological winter, conditions will only slowly improve though the weekend. Hard to believe we are in the last month of meteorological spring.

By this date a year ago, the Twin Cities had already experienced 16 days of 70 degrees or greater. Thus far, in 2013, the mercury has reached or exceeded 70 F only five times.

Records are still being sorted out for the snowfall in southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin. If you are interested in details, you can explore this site from NWS LaCrosse, Wis.

Reports from the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities layout these statistics for Eau Claire, Wis.

Including this historical fact for Eau Claire: The 8.7" of snow that fell on May 2, 2013 was the single snowiest calendar day during the month of May on record.

Here is an amazing temperature record for Rochester, Minn., for May 2:

...COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR MAY 2 AND FOR THE MONTH OF MAY...

ON MAY 2...THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AT ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

ONLY CLIMBED TO 33 DEGREES. THIS WAS THE COLDEST HIGH TEMPERATURE

FOR THE DATE. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 39 DEGREES IN 1935 AND 2011.

IN ADDITION...THIS HIGH TEMPERATURE WAS THE COLDEST EVER RECORDED

DURING THE MONTH OF MAY. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 35 DEGREES ON MAY

3 IN 1940.

In case you missed it, while the snowstorm was raging and setting records in southeast Minnesota, the Red River crested at Fargo, N.D. The hdyrograph from this afternoon shows the river slowly falling.

The late snow melt, sent the runoff, in large part, into the dry soil and lead to a lower crest than originally predicted. It has been a relatively dry spring in northwest Minnesota, while southeast Minnesota has been getting bouts of significant precipitation.

Here's the precipitation map for our neck of the woods through April 30, 2013.

The amazing story here, I think, is the fact that the Red River crested at Fargo above major flood stage when the region was still considered in a moderate drought!

Soil moisture is more than adequate to our south and may be troublesome for the agricultural community with regard to planting. It is starting to get relatively late in the season and additional moisture in the next 36 hours is not necessarily welcome.

A slow moving weather system will eventually clear our region on Sunday. There is a sharp cutoff to the clouds and dampness through Minnesota as shown on the visible satellite image from 3 p.m. CDT Friday. Unfortunately for those looking for sunshine, this weather system is actually moving the clouds from east to west.

Radar depicts the cold rain. mixed with wet snow at times over Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Animation is up to 345 p.m. CDT. Do not use as current radar information.

Heavy precipitation will drenched parts of Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee this weekend. Moisture on Saturday will dampen mainly eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Brightness (do I dare promise sunshine?) appears on Sunday. Temperatures still come up short of seasonal high temperatures that are in the middle 60s in the Twin Cities.

Runoff of the excessive snowfall will result in rises in streams, creeks and river levels into early next week. The water content of the heavy snow was likely on the order of an inch and a half to two inches where the greatest accumulations were measured.

Craig Edwards