Persistent cold into next week; more snow likely Sunday
That certainly was a fair smack of snow that fell Monday and Tuesday.
The official Twin Cities snowfall measured at Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport was 9 inches. That would make it the eighth-largest April snowfall of record.
The largest April snowfall for the Twin Cities was 13.6 inches on April 14, 1983. That led to the Metrodome's third deflation and MSP airport being shut down for five hours from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
One of the most memorable April snowstorms for me was the 9.7 inches that fell April 29-30, 1984. That storm, ranked No. 4 on the list, was remarkable in that it occurred at the very end of April.
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Here is a discussion of significant April snowstorms in Minnesota and the top 10 list for the Twin Cities prior to this year from the Minnesota State Climatology Office.
Many backyard and cooperative weather observers take 24-hour measurements of snowfall in the morning. The Twin Cities National Weather Service posts those amounts on an interactive page as they arrive.
Sunshine to the (partial) rescue
At least the sun will be out most of Wednesday. Even with high temperatures just from the upper 20s to low 30s, the power of that April sun will induce some snowmelt, especially on streets and sidewalks that have had some snow removal to reveal dark sun-absorbing surfaces.
Persistent cold
While accumulating snow is not so rare in April, the depth and persistence of the current cold wave will be highly unusual. Very cold temperatures, often 20 degrees colder than normal, will continue well into next week.
The cold Canadian air, fresh snowpack, clear skies and light winds will conspire to bring us a very cold night tonight. Some record low temperatures are likely Thursday morning when the Twin Cities could easily drop below the daily record low of 12.
A weak Alberta clipper will send some light snow showers southeastward across Minnesota Thursday.
Flurries are possible in the Twin Cities during the afternoon for the Twins home opener against the Mariners. With high temperatures likely to be just in the mid 30s during the game, you might want to dress for an outdoor football game rather than baseball if you attend.
So, would you like more snow?
If it is more snow that you want, Mother Nature seems willing to accommodate.
Forecast models are predicting a stronger Alberta clipper to come our way from western Canada for Sunday and Monday. We have a very good chance of picking up several inches of plowable snow by Monday. Yippee.
