A large, cold upper-level trough dominated the eastern half of the U.S. today, with subzero 850mb temperatures extending all the way to northern Florida. There were even reports of light snow as far south as northern Alabama and northern Georgia, which is pretty remarkable for early November.
The coldest air has moved out of the Northland today, with 850mb temperatures rising to around -3 to -5°C this afternoon. For most of the week, high temperatures in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin are expected to reach around 40 or into the 40s. While not exactly warm, it is slightly above average for this time of year.
Here’s a look at temperatures from late Monday afternoon.
As milder air moves in, scattered snow showers and flurries may develop in parts of the Northland late tonight, followed by a few rain or snow showers on Tuesday. However, widespread precipitation is unlikely.
Snowfall amounts could reach up to an inch in the Arrowhead region near Hovland and Grand Marais, while most other areas are expected to see little to no accumulation tonight.
The main weather highlight over the next few days will be the return of gusty winds from the west or west-northwest, with gusts reaching 25 to 30 mph on Tuesday and Wednesday.
HRRR model simulated radar forecast through 7 PM Tuesday.
The system for Saturday doesn’t appear very impressive, as computer models (such as the Euro model shown below) indicate it splitting into two parts: one moving across the northern Rockies and the other, a deeper system, digging well to the south toward the Baja region.
Although we might see some showers in the Northland on Friday or Saturday as a northern system drags a cold front through the area, it doesn’t appear that this system will bring widespread or significant precipitation.
Duluth is expected to see minimal snowfall over the next seven days, with only 1 out of 20 GEFS ensemble members predicting more than 2 inches of snow through November 17th.
