Fog with some rain and drizzle and maybe some wet snow in spots on Saturday

6:24 PM Thursday, December 26, 2024

About the only downside to milder temperatures this time of year is that it usually means little to no sun, lots of cloud cover, and some fog, and sure enough, that’s what we’ve been dealing with here lately and will continue to deal with over the next few days.

All of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin are under a dense fog advisory until 12 PM Friday. Expect visibility to be reduced to one quarter mile or less in dense fog.

For snow enthusiasts, there are no indications of any major snow events affecting our area through next week. The weather pattern appears to be turning colder again starting later next week, but there are still no signs of significant snowfall at this time.

Wet weather on the way with maybe a little wet snow

Typically, at this time of year when you see a trough shaped like this, we’d be talking about a pretty good snow event in much of the Northland, but that won’t be the case this time around as temperatures look pretty warm, meaning we will likely be seeing more rain than snow in much of the Northland Friday and Saturday.

The jet stream configuration for Friday night appears quite impressive, with diverging winds aloft that should enhance the lift required to produce precipitation in the Northland. However, if you are a fan of snow, this setup might be considered wasted.

At the surface, an area of low pressure initially over northeast Texas this afternoon will lift north-northeast, reaching northeast Wisconsin near the Green Bay area around daybreak on Saturday.

As this system approaches from the deep south, it is expected to have access to a significant amount of moisture.

-Patchy drizzle is expected across the Northland tonight and Friday, with some areas of freezing drizzle inland from Lake Superior tonight.

-Light to moderate rain is anticipated to move northward into our region Friday late afternoon or evening continuing through Saturday morning.

-Rain could mix with or change to some wet snow Saturday morning in parts of the Northland, especially inland from Lake Superior.

Note – In the Duluth area, precipitation is expected to diminish by Saturday afternoon.

NAM 3km model simulated radar forecast valid Midnight tonight to 6 PM Saturday.

Approximately half an inch or more of precipitation is expected in much of northwest Wisconsin and far eastern Minnesota, including the North Shore area, with around a quarter inch of precipitation anticipated in far western parts of the Northland from Brainerd to International Falls.

Severe Thunderstorms in the deep south

Severe thunderstorms have been occurring today in parts of east Texas with 3 preliminary tornado reports today thru 4 PM CT.

Radar loop ends 5:02 PM CT Thursday, December 26, 2024

More severe thunderstorms are expected on Saturday in north central Louisiana, much of Mississippi, and western Alabama, with all hazards possible, including tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail.