5:10 PM Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Two clippers through Friday. One hits us, the other misses us.
The first clipper (weaker of the two) moves through the Northland late Wednesday night/Thursday morning bringing a little snow to much of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, but accumulations should only range from a half inch to two inches at most.
A second clipper (stronger system) digs almost due south out of the Northern Plains on Friday, with this system tracking so far to the southwest, chances for snow on Friday have diminished significantly in the Northland, in fact it now looks like the entire Northland will be dry on Friday as snow with the clipper low remains over the Dakotas into southwestern Minnesota.
An easterly wind does develop on Friday, however, and with a colder air mass returning by then, we may see some light lake effect snow along the North Shore mainly NE of Duluth but snow amounts with this lake effect event look to remain on the light side the way it looks now.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT CLIPPER
Some snow is forecast to move NW-SE across the Northland beginning after 7 PM Wednesday, with snow exiting by 6 AM Thursday.
For Duluth — Some snow is possible beginning late Wednesday night after 11 PM. Snow is forecast to end around 3 AM Thursday. Total snowfall accumulations of 0.5″ to 1.5″.
European computer model simulated radar forecast valid 6 PM Wednesday to 6 AM Thursday (snow in blue colors).
FRIDAY’S SYSTEM
Mid to upper-level trough digs SSE out of the Northern Rockies Friday. Looks like this system will miss the Northland given the recent trends in model data last night into today.
We still have a few (2 or 3) GEFS members shoving the snow on Friday much farther east into the Northland, but the majority of the GEFS members keep the snow west/southwest of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin on Friday.
Note: An active clipper pattern looks to continue well into next week. No big snow events in this type of pattern, but several minor snow events are definitely possible through late next week.
Blue and purple colors on the maps below represent snowfall amounts of 2-6″+ using a 10:1 ratio.
Forecast thru 6 AM Saturday, January 15, 2022.
TEMPERATURES
The warmup has begun!
Look at some of these temperatures from this afternoon.
40s in southwest Minnesota, 50s in parts of southern South Dakota. 30-degree temperatures as far north as Brainerd this afternoon.
Highs on Wednesday are forecast to range from the teens in far northern Minnesota to the 20s to around 30 in east-central Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Note: Colder air does return later this week with subzero lows possible in parts of the Northland Friday morning and Saturday morning, and next week has potential to be even colder with periods of dangerously cold wind chills possibly returning as well.
A big-time temperature contrast will be in place the next few days.
Much warmer temperatures (orange areas) through Thursday.
Arctic air (outlined in white) through Friday.
RGEM model temperature forecast valid Noon Wednesday to Midnight Saturday.
Tim
