Flakes as Spring arrives on Tuesday; Friday rain and snow
The astronomical beginning of Spring, which is called the vernal equinox, is at 11:15 a.m. CDT on Tuesday.
Maybe it's appropriate that many Minnesotans will see snowflakes as Spring arrives.
March is a fickle month!
Late Monday into Tuesday
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A mix of rain and snow is expected to move into western Minnesota Monday afternoon. The mix changes to all snow and expands into eastern Minnesota Monday night.
Periods of light snow are likely in much of Minnesota on Tuesday, possibly mixed with some light rain at times.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential precipitation pattern Monday afternoon through Tuesday evening:
The NAM model shows snowfall totals of around two inches in much of west-central and southwestern Minnesota, with lighter amounts to the east:
It looks like the Twin Cities metro area will see an inch or less of snow Monday night into Tuesday.
Here's the NWS snowfall projection:
Check forecast updates for final estimates.
Friday into Saturday
A rain/snow mix is expected to spread across Minnesota on Friday and continue through Friday night into early Saturday.
It's expected to change to all snow in many areas at some point.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Global Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern from Friday into Saturday:
The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the precipitation rate (mm per hour), not to the total amount of rain or snow.
There will be plenty of moisture with the weather system, but snow amounts will depend on when and where the changeover to all snow happens.
Check forecast updates, since several inches of snow are possible in parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin from Friday into Saturday morning.
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.