April Madness! (snow tonight/stretch of 60's starting Sunday)

This is April madness! Just when we thought we were done with Winter weather, we get slapped again with another storm.  The rain/snow line went right across the metro.  No snow fell across the south metro while areas north of Minneapolis/St. Paul proper received several inches of snow.  Even a band of 10-14" fell in areas from the Elk River area across to Stacy, into western WI.  I measured 4.2" at my house in Crystal.

My neighbors probably think I'm completely nuts!  Memories are made by doing crazy, fun things though.  Most people take a quick pic of their deck from the comfort of their warm home.  I choose to mix green food coloring with water, put in a spray bottle, bundle up, write on my yard, get a ladder out and take pics.


The difference across the metro was dramatic.  Check out this...

While it was snow heavily in Maple Grove, it was just a wet commute for those in the south metro!

This weekend will see moderating temperatures and we should see temps in the 60's starting Sun-Mon and continuing through the next week.  It looks like we could see a rather large storm system impacting the area on Friday into Saturday of next week.  This won't have snow with it, that's the good news.  We could have some heavy rain and thunderstorms, but that's too far out at this point, just something I'm keeping my eye on.

Twin Cities Forecast
Thursday:  Mostly cloudy, high of 40.
Friday: Partly cloudy, high 45.
Saturday: Scattered showers, mostly cloudy. High 58.
Sunday: Mostly sunny.  High 64.
Monday: Sunny. High 70.
Tuesday: Sunny. High 65.
Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. High 69.

Minneapolis Climate Averages for Thursday
Average high: 59
Average low: 38
Sunrise: 6:25
Sunset: 8:01

Thanks for reading!
Have a great day!

Storm Update!

Quick summary... -evening communte will be ok (snowing, but roads ok) -Friday morning commute will be tough with snow-covered roads -Total accumulations in Twin Cities metro 3-6" -nice weekend with temps in 40's Sat, maybe 50 Sunday -Next week looks nice with some 60 degree days mid/late week (maybe even our first 70!) So, hand in there...this is just a quick hitter and the snow will melt fast! Weather models have certainly not come together to give forecasters any degree of confidence for any forecast. This is why you have probably been frustrated to see forecasts ranging from 3" to 12" of snow. It's not Meteorologists playing "mind games" with you, it is the fact that we rely on weather models and when those models show differing solutions, you get different forecasts because of the uncertainty. Here is how I think things will shake out with the storm... -precip cranks up around noon (I expect mainly rain or rain/snow/sleet mix) -rain turns to snow this evening (I think evening commute is ok considering mild temps) -snow tonight and tomorrow (morning commute bad, snow-covered roads) -best estimate is 3-6" for the Twin Cities metro There still is the possibility of a heavy snow band that could bring higher snowfall totals to the metro. Just think...next week we will see 50's and 60's!!!! Have a great day!

Spring storm system brings snow/warmth to Minnesota!

All I could think all weekend was, "we've earned this!" What a gorgeous weekend! As I went out on a run on Sunday (in shorts for the first time since last Oct!) I was feeling sky high! Seeing the sunshine and running water down the streets was a great feeling. All that snow just flowing in the gutters where it belongs! We have quite the storm system in our region today! This storm is causing a significant temperature and dewpoint (moisture) gradient across the state. This afternoon it was in the 10's in NW Minnesota while SW Minnesota saw temps in the 60's and even some low 70's! From blizzard conditions to warm, sunshine and thunderstorms. Yes, it really is true what "they" say..."if you don't like the weather, wait a minute." On my run on Sunday I was thinking of the Winter we had to endure to get to this point. I also thought of the feeling we get in Minnesota when we get our first 60 degree day. It really does seem like a population explosion on our first warm day. I saw people outside everywhere! We really do seem to hibernate in Winter...and then boy do we make up for it in Spring/Summer...I think Minnesotans spend more time outdoors on nice days than anywhere else. Probably because we know what we just endured and we know what will eventually come again. It's "carpe diem"...Minnesota style!

Check out this dew point temperature map!  I haven't seen dew points this high in MN for a long time.  This is really accelerating the snow melt.  Dew points above freezing are great for snow melting...when you get well in the 40's it is liquidation time!  47 dew point at Minneapolis is happening just east of the big low pressure center responsible for our big cross-state weather today.

Tornadoes in March...
Yes, there were confirmed tornado reports today in Minnesota.  A sure sign of Spring.  We were lucky today that there wasn't significantly more moisture/warmth, as this could've been a severe weather outbreak.  But we still had a few tornadoes (maybe 1 with multiple reports) to round out March.  The tornado report was from Yellow Medicine County in SW Minnesota.

Snow storm later this week?
It's too early to get overly concerned about this.  However, it does look possible that we could have accumulating snowfall Thu into Friday of this week.  I'm thinking the heaviest will fall northwest of the Twin Cities, but it's too early to talk accumulations amounts and locations.  But somewhere in MN could see 6-12" of snow.  Stay tuned on that. 

Positive thoughts!
Average high on April 1st is 50.          Average low on April 1st is 31
Average high on April 30th is 65         Average low on April 30th is 44
There has never been a temperature in the Twin Cities below zero in April!  We can safely say that there will be no more "Polar Vortex" talk until next year! YEH!!  (I still think I will hear it another dozen times though before Summer.  The media took that phrase and ran with it and so did everyone else).

Forecast
Tuesday: morning snow showers, cloudy and windy. High: 38.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy.  High: 41.
Thursday: Rain...possibly mixing with snow late. High: 36.
Thursday night into Friday:  Rain/snow mix, turning to all snow.  Accumulations possible. High 35.
Saturday: Partly cloudy. High 45.
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 50.
Monday: Mostly cloudy.  High 50.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day! 

Beautiful rainy day today...60 on Sunday!

Hi friends!  It's a beautiful rainy day today! 
Yes, I said "beautiful."  Anything that melts snow right now in my book is considered "beautiful!" 
Open areas where there is a lot of sun, the snow is basically gone.  However, in neighborhoods it's a different story...at least in the north metro where I live.  Although I expect the snow to be pretty much gone (just banks) by the time we roll into Monday (after Sunday's 60...more on that later). 


The best conditions to melt snow?  Dewpoint temperatures above freezing (32).  Currently we have dewpoint temperatures in the mid-upper 30's...which is really melting things down.  The rain helps as well! 
Again...that's why it's beautiful!  No more below zero, cringing getting in your car, gripping the wheel as you go down an ice skating rink called Interstate 35W...those days are over! 
Enough positivity...this is the 2nd consecutive March well below average.  We are sitting at -8.5 degrees below average for the month.  As much as I loved March of 2012 (remember that one?  We were in shorts the entire 2nd half of the month with temps in the 70's and even 80's!)...in back of my mind I knew that this would make all future March's tough...because we will never see that kind of March here in our lifetime! But to go well below average for 2 consecutive March's after 2012, was cruel.

 The great news...this weekend will feel MUCH warmer!  I think both Saturday and Sunday will be great days to get outside and remember what it's like to be outside looking at grass for once!  Saturday will be in the 40's...but Sunday I think we will hit 60 degrees for the first time this year!
What we have working in our favor for 60 degrees on Sunday?  Strong WAA (warm air advection)...which basically means winds transporting warm air into our region from the south.  The southerly winds will be moving across snow-free areas as well.

 
Forecast
Rest of today: periods of rain/drizzle...mixing with and changing to snow by night.  Only minor slushy accumulation possible overnight.  The real accumulating snow will be north of the Twin Cities
Friday: Mostly sunny. High 35.
Saturday: Mostly sunny.  High 46.
Sunday:  Sunny early, increasing clouds late.  High 60!!!
Monday: Rain by afternoon.  High 45.
Monday Night: snow possible (watching this...hoping for little accumulation). 1-3"
Tuesday: Sunny. High 37.

Enjoy this weekend because next week looks well below average again!

Thanks for checking out MN Weather Blog! Have a wonderful day!

Happy Spring!

We made it!!!  We did it. We suffered through it and we earned bragging rights.  We made it to Spring!  Someone at work told me,  "yeah it's Spring today but it sure isn't here in Minnesota."  I beg to differ.  It depends on your perspective.  I choose to look for the "signs" of Spring and appreciate how far we've come.  Believe me, we've come a long ways, despite the snow still sitting in your backyard. 
Some signs of Spring I saw today...
-I went on a run at lunchtime in just a long sleeve shirt and pants, and felt warm in the sunshine and little wind.
-Puddles.  After sitting in the equivalent of a deep freezer (or worse at times) this winter, yes, I appreciate puddles! 
-After my run, I sat outside in the sun for a couple minutes and just "felt" Spring.
-I'm no bird expert, but I'm hearing more and more birds in the morning.  They are flying back north!
-On my drive home, the south-facing hills along the interstates are snow free.  Showing how intense the sun angle is...another true sign of Spring!
-Another sign of Spring...being mad that this weekend we will only have highs in the 20's.  20's and 30's are "bad" at this point.  Showing that we've come a long ways.

So, welcome to Spring!  Yes, it's Spring Minnesota style...meaning we will have our ups and downs.  We will still have more snow and cold days.  However, we will also have our warm days to enjoy as well.

I'm trying to stay positive, in case you couldn't tell :-)

Forecast
Friday: a period of snow/mix...maybe up to 1" of slush, High near 40.
Saturday: partly cloudy.  High 25
Sunday: Sunny. High 24.
Monday: Mostly cloudy. High 30.
Tuesday: Mostly cloudy. High 28.
Wednesday: Sunny. High 36.
Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 40.

What I'm watching
I have been watching the day to day weather model runs and I have been focused on the March 31 - April 1 timeframe.  Indications are that there could be a good sized storm in the Plains.  At this point it looks like we could really have a complete meltdown around this period as moisture surges north.  Current models are showing temperatures in the 50's, even lower 60's with rain.  Of course it's way too far out to know what will happen, but I'm excited to see this because if this happens, it will allow dewpoint temperatures to surge above freezing as well...which will escalate the snow melt. 

Have a great day!

Storm Update and Forecast

After a cold weekend, we look to a storm to impact the area early this week into Wednesday.  Weather models are showing differing positions of the low pressure center, which will have implications on precip type and amounts.  If the storm takes a track north, it would mean warmer weather for the Twin Cities and little if any snow.  However, a more southern track would mean more snow.  It's too early to tell accumulations and where this will set up.  However, it looks like the Twin Cities will have a mix of rain/snow and even a period of freezing rain Tue morning.  As cold air works into the area on Tue night, the rain should turn to snow and right now it looks like 1-3" for the Twin Cities.  The National Weather Service has a nice graphic depicting the current forecast for this storm. 
            Bottom line, I am not expecting a significant snowstorm for the Twin Cities.

We will remain on the cool side of "average." It's looking like mainly 30's for highs throughout the month.  We've come a long ways though, because I'm still ok with 30's after this long Winter! 

Averages for Monday are 42/25.

High temp Sunday was only 25.  

We were cold here in the Twin Cities, but not as cold as northern MN.  Crane Island, MN had a temp this morning of -27!  

Snow depth at the Twin Cities airport stands at 5" (a far cry from the 24" depth observed just 3 weeks ago!)  Even though it may not seem like...we are making progress!

My snow depth in my yard (Crystal, MN) is 9".  However, in sunny areas in the open, we're starting to see some grass! 

Forecast
Monday: Mostly cloudy, a chance of rain/snow...no accumulation. High 36.
Tuesday: Morning sleet/rain/freezing rain turning to rain in the afternoon. High 43.
Tuesday Night/Wednesday:  Rain changing to snow.  1-3" of snow by morning.  Turning windy. High 35.
Thursday:  Partly cloudy.  High 38.
Friday: A chance of rain/snow...no accumulation.  High 40.
Sneak peak at the weekend:  Continued below average temps.  Highs around 30, partly sunny skies.

Long term trends
This graphic from the Climate Prediction Center says it all...high probability of staying below average through the end of March.

Tip of the day
 On cool, sunny days, park your car in the sunlight.  The March sun angle heats the inside of the car nicely.  I didn't even need to turn the heat on today since my car was parked in the sunlight! Again...we are making progress!

                 Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Welcome to MN Weather Blog!!

I live in the Crystal, MN, a NW suburb of Minneapolis.  As one of my favorite Meteorologists (Paul Douglas) would say..."Minnesota is the 'Super Bowl' of weather."  It's so true!  Where else in the world can you go from -30's to 100 degrees all in the same year?!  Not many places on Earth can compete with Minnesota on the drastic changes of weather that happens here in Minnesota. 
MN Weather Blog's main priority will be to give relevant weather information in an informative, enthusiastic way!
 
I thought long and hard of what my first blog post should be about. I decided to just give a brief introduction to what you can expect on this blog.  Thanks so much for checking MN Weather Blog out!!
You will get...
-Weather updates from me!
-Weather forecasts from me!
-Discussion of various weather topics!
-Discussion of current weather events!
-Discussion of long range forecast trends!
-Anything exciting that I can share! 

Weather discussion
Thursday will start of on the chilly side but give way to southerly winds which will help boost temperatures into the 40's with sunshine.  It will be a great day to get outside in the late afternoon and enjoy!  After this brutal Winter, I'm still happy with anything above 30 degrees.  40's will last into Friday, however a cold front will be moving through the region bringing cooler weather for this weekend.  Aside from a couple days in the 40's, the other piece of good news...no major snow storms in sight!

Twin Cities area forecast
Thursday: Sunny.  A chilly start with wake up temps around 20.  High of 45.
Friday: Sunny.  High of 45.
Saturday: Partly cloudy and colder.  High of 25.
Sunday: Partly cloudy.  High of 27.
Monday: Mostly cloudy. High of 37.
Tuesday:  Much warmer.  Partly cloudy.  High of 48.

Forecast trends for next 2 weeks
The model trends are looking fairly quiet, with seasonal temperatures.  Average highs for this period are in the low 40's.  I don't see anything alarming on the weather maps right now.  The melting will continue, even on days with highs below freezing, we will still melt snow in sunny areas due to the high sun angle we have in mid-March.  It's becoming more difficult for snow to exist as the sun gets higher and higher in the sky.  Something to look forward to...average highs get into the 50's by early April...right around the corner!

I saw this on Facebook when we hit 53 degrees the other day, hilarious.  I tend to get "irrationally optimistic" on warm March days, I'm definitely guilty of this one!

Have a wonderful day and thanks for checking MN Weather Blog out!!