Another clipper will move through the upper Midwest on Sunday, bringing more snow. With temperatures in the Northland ranging from about -5 to 10 above, 850mb temperatures between -15 and -20°C, and precipitable water under 0.20 inches, conditions aren’t ideal for large snowflakes. Instead, the Northland will likely see more of a light, tiny flake scenario—which should keep snow totals to around an inch.
The bigger story will probably be the wind picking up behind the clipper from Sunday afternoon into Monday, with northwest gusts of 10 to 20 mph and occasional bursts over 30 mph. These winds will kick up blowing snow and bring dangerously low wind chills Sunday night into Monday morning.
NAM 3km model simulated radar forecast valid Midnight tonight to Midnight Monday.
Note — Snow is expected to start in Duluth Sunday morning between 7 and 9 AM, tapering off by mid to late afternoon. While it may snow for much of the day, accumulation will likely be slow because of the small snowflake size.
Northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin are set to get between 0.5 and 1.5 inches of snow on Sunday, with the usual South Shore areas seeing more thanks to lake effect. By 6 AM Monday, snow totals along the South Shore could hit 2 to 6 inches, with the heaviest amounts near Gile and Hurley.
Blizzard warnings are in effect for Sunday across parts of northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, with widespread blowing snow and blizzard conditions expected. Winter weather advisories are also in place, highlighted in blue.
Note: Advisories for northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan are set to expire early this evening.
From Thursday through 4 PM Saturday, Duluth received 6.5 inches of snow, with a snow-to-liquid ratio of about 23:1 during this event.
Duluth saw 4.6 inches of snow on January 16th, the largest daily snowfall since November 25th, when 7.1 inches fell.
The weather pattern is shifting as the widespread Arctic air that had blanketed much of Alaska moves east, making way for milder conditions across the state.
Fairbanks, Alaska went through 32 straight days of below-zero temperatures from December 14 to January 14, but the streak finally broke on January 15 when the temperature climbed to 7 degrees. The all-time record for consecutive days below zero is 40, set back in 1918.
What this means for the Northland is a stretch of frigid conditions which will probably last the rest of this month.
It’s already bitterly cold today in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, with subzero temperatures. Even here, while a bit warmer, it’s still chilly, with readings in the single digits to around 10 degrees above zero.
…Bitter Cold Sunday night-Monday…
Sunday night in the Northland, temperatures are expected to drop into the teens to around 20 below zero. With winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts up to 30 mph, wind chills could plunge to between 30 and 40 below zero, lasting into Monday morning.
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