Impressive rain and snow totals; temps rebound this weekend

Is the calendar broken?

It was still snowing Thursday morning in Duluth, and their snow total from Wednesday p.m. into Thursday a.m. had reached 10.6 inches.  The 8.3 inches that they tallied on Wednesday was a new May 8 snowfall record in Duluth, beating the old record of 5 inches:

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Other snow totals in northeastern Minnesota included 10 inches in Cloquet and 9.5 inches about 7 miles north-northwest of Two Harbors. You can check snow accumulations as they are posted by the National Weather Service.  Hover over a location on their snow map site to see the snow total and the time of observation.

The snow in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin is transitioning to rain as we go through the morning and early this afternoon.  You can check for forecast updates from the National Weather Service office in Duluth.

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Some locations in central Minnesota reported a few inches of snow Wednesday p.m.  The official tally at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was a trace of snow.

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.

Precipitation totals

Most locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin have seen plenty of precipitation in the past 24 to 36 hours. Here's the precipitation (rain plus the water content of snow) for the 24 hours ending at 7 a.m. this Thursday:

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24 hour precipitation ending at 7 a.m. May 9, via the NWS

You can see 1.5 to 2 inch totals in most of the Twin Cities metro area, with some 3-to-4-inch totals in portions of central Minnesota.

Temperature trends

Our average high temp is 68 degrees this time of year in the Twin Cities metro area.  We'll reach around 50 or slightly above 50 this afternoon, and it'll be breezy.  Highs across much of western Minnesota will be in the lower 50s Thursday afternoon, but northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin may top out in the 40s.

Many areas in Minnesota and western Wisconsin will see frost or freezing temperatures late Thursday night into Friday morning, so cover tender plants or bring small potted plants indoors overnight if possible.  Remember that the official temp is measured about five feet above the ground. When winds are light, the temperature at ground level can be several degrees colder than the official temp.

Highs recover to the 60s in parts of southern Minnesota on Friday, with some 50s central and north:

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60s expand into central Minnesota on Saturday:

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Sunday will feature highs in the 60s across central and southern Minnesota:

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Twin Cities highs are projected to reach the upper 60s Monday and Wednesday, with lower 70s on Tuesday.

Precipitation chances

We mentioned the rain/snow mix changing to mostly rain in northeastern Minnesota Thursday and gradually pulling away.

The Twin Cities metro area could see a few scattered sprinkles in the morning, followed by a chance of an isolated late afternoon or evening shower.

Friday looks dry, but some of us will see some off and on showers Saturday and Saturday evening. A thunderstorm is also possible Saturday p.m.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale Forecast System model shows the potential precipitation pattern Friday night through Saturday evening:

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NOAA NAM simulated radar Friday night through Saturday evening, via tropicaltidbits

The color chart to the right of the loop refers to the strength of the signal that returns to the radar, not to the amount of rain.

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.