Issued at 8:31 AM CST, Monday, January 12th, 2009
At 14z low pressure of 1010 mb was centered over Eastern South Dakota…Between the cities of Watertown and Milbank… Greatest pressure falls were noted across Iowa This Morning, so the low should remain on a southeast track during the next 6 hours.
Very impressive 7-8 mb per 2 hour pressure rises were noted behind this low across Southern North Dakota and Northern South Dakota This Morning with 3 hour surface temperature falls of 8-16 degrees over the Central Dakotas.
Water vapor satellite imagery shows a wound up low pressure system heading S-SE through Central and Eastern South Dakota This Morning with 500 mb 12 hour height falls of 120 meters centered over the Southeast half of South Dakota attm.
Snow continues to break out east of this low in an area with warm advection and PWATS of 0.30″… Snow was flying This Morning over the South half of Minnesota with some pockets of heavier snowfall which has caused visibilities to drop to under a mile at times early Today across those areas of the state. Another batch of snow was heading SE through Northern South Dakota and Southeast North Dakota attm and this area of snow is likely forming near the arctic boundary which will push south and east across Minnesota through the Afternoon hours.
Temperatures around Minnesota at 14z ranged from -4 degrees at Hallock to 5 at International Falls to 18 at Ortonville to 25 at Pipestone. Winds were beginning to increase from the north now across Westcentral and Northwest Minnesota with wind speeds in the 10-25 mph range.
There are a plethoria of winter weather headlines in effect around most of Minnesota through Tuesday Morning…
*Blizzard Warning* remains in effect through This Evening for a portion of Southwest and far Western Minnesota including the cities of Ortonville… Wheaton… Moorhead… Breckenridge… Marshall… Slayton… Windom… And Jackson…
*Winter Storm Warning* remains in effect through Midnight CST Tonight for portions of Southern, Southeast, and Southwest Minnesota including the cities of Rochester… Austin… Gaylord… New Ulm… St. Peter… St. James… Mankato… Waseca… Owatonna… Fairmont… Blue Earth… Albert Lea… Madison… Montevideo… Granite Falls… Olivia… And Redwood Falls…
*Winter Weather Advisory* remains in effect for portions of Northwest, Westcentral, Central, and Southern Minnesota including the cities of Winona… Alexandria… Morris… Glenwood… Benson… Willmar… Minneapolis… St. Paul… Shakopee… Faribault… Red Wing… Long Prairie… St. Cloud… Le Sueur… Crookston… Hallock… Roseau… Warren… Thief River Falls… Fosston… Red Lake Falls… Mahnomen… Detroit Lakes… Fergus Falls… Wadena… Elbow Lake… Ivanhoe… Worthington… Pipestone… Luverne… Sibley…
Forecast is going pretty much as planned with the greatest snow amounts falling from Western into Southern Minnesota. Snow totals in those areas could reach 2 to 5 inches by late Today. Accumulations across Central Minnesota will be around an inch or two with under an inch expected for the rest of the state.
Locally for Duluth-Superior, the bulk of the snow will fall west and south of the city Today as the clipper low is taking a track too far to our west and south to cause more significant amounts of snow here in Duluth. Areas of light snow are forming off to the west and northwest of the city attm, and some of this light snow could work it’s way into the city by Noon Today, however, there is a dry layer in the atmosphere that will have to moisten up before the snow can reach the surface. All in all, look for a dusting to possibly a half inch of new snow here in Duluth by later Today.
NOTE: Also, keep in mind that wind chill advisories and warnings cover portions of Minnesota for later Tonight and Tuesday Morning, and I would expect that virtually all of Minnesota will be placed under some sort of a wind chill headline by the end of Today…
Tim
