First significant snowstorm of the season to impact the area tonight into Sunday

It has been a while since my last blog post.  Quite frankly, the weather pattern lately has yielded few weather events worth mentioning.

A low pressure system is forecasted to arrive from the Dakotas into Minnesota during the early morning hours on Sunday.  Behind the low will be gusty winds, along with a colder air mass from the northwest.

The north and east quadrants of the low pressure system will be responsible for a significant amount of snow over the state during the two days.  Snow will begin in the western portion of Minnesota late Saturday night, with a gradual east-northeast movement towards central and eastern Minnesota before daybreak Sunday.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until Sunday evening for the areas highlighted below.

According to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen:

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF A LINE FROM MADISON MINNESOTA TO THE TWIN CITIES...TO LADYSMITH WISCONSIN ...FROM SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO FAR WESTERN MINNESOTA BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...AND THEN DEVELOP EAST...ACROSS EASTERN MINNESOTA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON ...AND INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN BY 9 PM THIS EVENING. THE SNOW COULD BE HEAVY AT TIMES. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS IN THE WINTER STORM WARNING AREA WILL RANGE FROM 5 TO 8 INCHES...WITH THE HIGHEST TOTALS NORTH OF A LINE FROM ALEXANDRIA...TO BUFFALO TO ANOKA...TO CHETEK.

From the National Weather Service in Duluth:

A LARGE PORTION OF THE NORTHLAND CAN EXPECT SNOWFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. ANYONE WITH TRAVEL PLANS OR OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES PLANNED THIS WEEKEND SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST FORECAST FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

Areas from Alexandria to Brainerd to Duluth could see snowfall rates approaching or reaching one inch per hour at times.  There is a good chance this area will see at least six to eight inches of snow with isolated higher amounts (10-12 inches?) near the North Shore.  For the Twin Cities metro, I am expecting to see four (south) to six inches (north) before the snow finally tappers off Sunday evening.

Travel will be difficult late tonight into Sunday afternoon.  It may be a good idea to alter travel plans, if possible, otherwise expect delays.

RS