5:40 PM Friday, December 27, 2024
Wet weather is likely in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin tonight and Saturday as an area of low pressure tracks northeastward out of eastern Iowa. Along with the surface low, an upper-level trough will lift north out of the northern and central Plains through Saturday. Ample amounts of moisture are already in place for this system to tap into, with precipitable water of 0.60 to 0.70 inches in much of the Northland today.
As of 5 PM today, 0.08 inches of rain has been recorded at the Duluth Airport.
Temperatures for most of this event will remain warm enough for rain, but there is a chance of sufficient cooling on Saturday morning for the rain to turn into wet snow in parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, inland from Lake Superior. The 850mb temperatures are forecast to drop to around 0 to -1C on Saturday morning, while surface temperatures range from around 32 to 34 degrees, creating a marginal temperature profile for snow production.
Here’s a look at the system approaching the upper Midwest as it lifts north-northeast across Iowa today as seen on water vapor imagery.
Goes-16 water vapor loop ending 5:11 PM CT Friday, December 27, 2024.
Radar loop ends 5:16 PM CT Friday, December 27, 2024.
Temperatures through 5 PM Friday.
Duluth area: Rain and drizzle continue tonight into early Saturday morning, with precipitation forecast to end between 8-11 AM Saturday. There is a low chance we could see some wet snow mixing with the rain in higher elevations Saturday morning. Temperatures remain above freezing tonight and during the day Saturday, so there shouldn’t be any icing from this rain.
NAM 3km model simulated radar forecast through 6 PM Saturday.
Precipitation totals of a quarter to half an inch, or more, are likely in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin by Saturday afternoon, with little to no rain expected farther west, including in the Brainerd and Walker areas.
Snowfall Potential
- A trace to 2 inches of wet, slushy snow is possible on Saturday over parts of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, away from Superior.
- Duluth area: Less than 1 inch of snow is possible in higher elevation areas. No snow is expected below the hill in Duluth.
Dense Fog
Dense fog will persist in parts of northeast and east-central Minnesota tonight into early Saturday morning, with visibility reduced to one-quarter mile or less. Improvement in the fog is expected on Saturday afternoon.
Severe Thunderstorms
Severe thunderstorms affected parts of southeast Texas and western/northern Louisiana on Thursday, resulting in eight tornado reports.
A regional outbreak of severe thunderstorms is forecast from Saturday into Saturday night, affecting east Texas, the Lower Mississippi Valley, and parts of the Tennessee Valley. All hazards are possible, including large hail, damaging winds, and strong tornadoes (EF2+).
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