6:22 PM Friday, December 8, 2023
Weather will be turning a little more active over the next 24 hours as a pretty strong upper-level trough swings through the Northland bringing some snow and a rain/snow mix to the area along with increasing northwesterly winds and cooler temperatures.
This system won’t be a major snow maker, but there may be just enough snow accumulation to cause some slippery road conditions on Saturday in parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
Temperatures Saturday near Lake Superior and also in eastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin will range from the mid 30s to around 40 but these temperatures will be falling by mid to late afternoon on Saturday, but due to these milder temperatures we could see more of a rain/snow mix before the precipitation switches over to all snow before ending Saturday evening.
North central Minnesota should see mostly snow late tonight and Saturday as temperatures will be slightly cooler in the lower 30s before falling into the mid 20s Saturday afternoon.
Winds will be increasing and shifting to the northwest on Saturday with wind gusts reaching 20 to 35 mph Saturday afternoon through Saturday night.
More seasonable temperatures for Sunday with highs in the middle 20s to around 30, and these more seasonable temperatures should continue into early next week but 40s could return once again mid to late next week.
Lows Saturday night into early next week are forecast to be in the teens across the Northland with some single digits also possible, but warmer overnight temperatures are expected to return later next week.
Note — So far this season only 3.7 inches of snow in Duluth which is nearly -18 inches below normal to date and we’ve received just 17% of our normal seasonal snowfall to date, and it doesn’t look like the pattern will be turning snowier at least for another 2 weeks or so. The odds of a brown Christmas are pretty high this year in Duluth.
Upper-level trough along with an upper-level low will continue to move east through the upper Midwest tonight and Saturday. This system exits off to the east by Saturday night with generally quiet weather taking over once again next week.
We should have enough lift as the aforementioned trough moves over the Northland to generate some precipitation late tonight but more so during the day Saturday.
NAM 500mb forecast valid from Midnight tonight to 6 PM Saturday.
Snow will begin in north central Minnesota late tonight/Saturday morning, and then will see the snow or a rain/snow mix spread into northwest Wisconsin by Saturday afternoon.
Precipitation ends Saturday evening in northeast Minnesota, and later Saturday night in northwest Wisconsin except along the South Shore of Lake Superior where some lake effect snow showers will likely persist into Sunday morning.
NAM 3km model radar forecast valid from Midnight tonight to 6 AM Saturday.
Highest snow amounts with this system are forecast to be over parts of eastern North Dakota into northwest Minnesota where 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected with up to 5 inches of snow possible over northeast North Dakota into far northwest Minnesota.
Note — Around 1 inch or less of snow is expected in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin through Saturday evening with up to 3 inches of snow along the South Shore of Lake Superior in northwest Wisconsin through early Sunday morning.
Mild temperatures continued in the Northland today with highs in the upper 30s in northern Minnesota with widespread 40s in eastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin including 49 degrees at Ashland, Wisconsin. No record highs were set or tied today, however, due to the widespread cloudiness over much of the area today which helped to keep temperatures from reaching record levels.
Still seeing strong signals in the computer models for more above average temperatures in the Northland next week with the greatest departures from normal likely occurring mid to late next week.
Thanks for reading!
Tim
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