Minneapolis-St. Paul weather

[NYCTWCjunkie]

I thought I would share what I posted at TWC Classics in terms of a weather report for today with the addition
of a Twin Cities weather thread at TWC Today.

For past reports and chat posts, feel free to visit the TWC Classics' Minneapolis-St. Paul weather thread.
http://www.twcclassics.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4017

A very hot day in the Twin Cities metropolitan area this afternoon will give way to stormy conditions
by the evening rush hour as a potent cold front moves through to bring considerable relief.
Temperatures are well into the 90s with scattered thunderstorms across the region.

More storms are on tap for tonight and much better conditions is in store for tomorrow with high temperatures
in the 80s. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for the Twin Cities until 9:00 PM Central Daylight Time.


























Central Minnesota regional radar as of 2:21 PM Central Daylight Time (courtesy of WCCO-TV)...

[Mike M]

Nice, Paul. I like the stormy background you chose.

I am working on a weather bulletins screen and plan to have it done by the next time I do a weather report.

[lfmusiclover]

As always, great job Paul!  8)

[NYCTWCjunkie]

Thanks again for your positive feedback, Gary and Mike.
Mike, I'm definitely looking forward to your weather bulletin screen in your future updates.

It is not quite as hot as it was five days ago, but it still makes you want to head to your nearest pool or lake.
Another typical mid-summer afternoon is on tap for the Twin Cities with beautiful skies and not too humid as well.
However, high temperatures may top out in the low 90s in most locations.  If you love the heat, go west into
North Dakota and South Dakota where the mercury will once again close in on the century mark.

I have not added the transparent byline on the photo yet, but to give the appropriate copyright credit,
the current conditions graphic page background is by ahobbylogge at Flickr.



PLEASE NOTE:
Due to Stillwater, Minnesota not providing their latest weather observations, I replaced that location on
the local reporting site list with Eagan, Minnesota.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

Doing a Twin Cities weather report wasn't originally in my plans, but due to last night's tragedy,
I wanted to post one so that we have a record of what the weather was like less than 24 hours later.

Conditions are now much better than in recent past.  After a cold front moved through last night and
some scattered thunderstorms pushed across the Twin Cities (thankfully just missed downtown Minneapolis
to not effect the recovery efforts). As a result, slightly cooler and much drier conditions have moved into
the region.  Humidity levels are comfortable and it is not too hot right now with readings in the 80s.

I have not added the transparent byline on the photo yet, but to give the appropriate copyright credit,
the current conditions graphic page background is by "Rockin' Rob" at Flickr.



PLEASE NOTE:
Due to Lino Lakes, Minnesota not providing their latest weather observations, I replaced that location on
the local reporting site list with Eagan, Minnesota.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

THE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS POSTED BELOW AREN'T CURRENT. THEY ARE FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY.

The same low pressure system that is moving across the country from southern California for the past
24 to 48 hours has been gaining momentum as it moves through the Upper Midwest region today and tonight.
This is the first significant winter storm of this late autumn season.

The following weather statement is from the National Weather Service forecast office in Chanhassen, Minnesota:

WINTER STORM CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF MINNESOTA
AND WESTERN WISCONSIN...

Wintry weather will persist across the Upper Midwest this afternoon and tonight ahead of a low pressure
system centered over the central plains. As of noon, snowfall amounts between 1 to 3 inches were common,
including Mankato, the Twin Cities, Faribault and Menomonie, Wisconsin areas. The snow was also mixing with
sleet along the Interstate 90 corridor.

Moderate to heavy snow will continue to fall across much of central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin
this afternoon. Combined with brisk winds and reduced visibilities, moderate to heavy sleet will be
the predominant weather type across much of south-central Minnesota this afternoon with a transition
to freezing rain possible toward evening. The area of sleet will gradually shift north and east toward
central Minnesota and west-central Wisconsin this evening and may reach as far north as Redwood Falls
to the Twin Cities metro to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.

As the low pressure system moves away from the region tonight, the precipitation across the entire area
is expected to become light freezing drizzle and light snow as drier air aloft works into the system.
This transition is anticipated to begin this evening across west-central and southwest Minnesota and
work eastward into west-central Wisconsin by early Sunday morning.

Total accumulations of snow will likely be reduced from earlier predictions. Due to the earlier arrival of
the sleet, and the quicker system progression, by late tonight, storm total snow and sleet accumulations
are now expected to range from 5 to 8 inches from west-central Minnesota to west-central Wisconsin,
including the Alexandria, Twin Cities and Eau Claire, Wisconsin areas. Total snowfall accumulations
may reach slightly higher amounts approaching 10 inches from Cambridge to Ladysmith.

Although lower snow and sleet accumulations in the 2 to 4 inch range are expected across
south-central Minnesota, light ice accumulations from the freezing rain will likely create
treacherous travel conditions, especially along Intestates 90 and 35.

Through the end of tonight, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the entire Twin Cities metropolitan area.

It will remain stormy over the next six to seven days with the lone exception being tomorrow night
to Monday night without precipitation expected. Temperatures will remain unseasonably cold for
the start of December with readings only in the upper teens to low 20s.



I have not added the transparent byline on the photo yet, but to give the appropriate copyright credit,
the current conditions graphic page background is by Toggie at SkyscraperCity.

























METROPOLITAN AREA MAP WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... E at 23 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Blaine, Minnesota... E at 17 MPH, gusting to 25 MPH
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... E at 17 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH
Woodbury, Minnesota... ENE at 15 MPH, gusting to 19 MPH
St. Paul... E at 14 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH
Crystal, Minnesota... E at 13 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH

METROPOLITAN AREA NON-MAP WIND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH)
Lakeville, Minnesota... 23 MPH
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 13 MPH
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 13 MPH
Stillwater, Minnesota... 13 MPH

LATEST VISIBILITIES
Bloomington, Minnesota... 0.2 mile
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 0.2 mile
Minnetonka, Minnesota... 0.2 mile
Plymouth, Minnesota... 0.2 mile
Crystal, Minnesota... ¼ mile
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... ¼ mile
Blaine, Minnesota... ½ mile
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... ½ mile
Lino Lakes, Minnesota... ½ mile
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... ½ mile
St. Paul... ½ mile
Stillwater, Minnesota... ½ mile
White Bear Lake, Minnesota... ½ mile
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 1 mile
Lakeville, Minnesota... 1 mile
Woodbury, Minnesota... 1 mile

LATEST METROPOLITAN AREA NON-MAP WIND CHILL READINGS
Lakeville, Minnesota... -7°
Bloomington, Minnesota... 8°
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 8°
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 10°
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 10°
Stillwater, Minnesota... 9°



Central Minnesota radar within the last 90 minutes (courtesy of WCCO-TV)...

[NYCTWCjunkie]

The coldest night of the season is making it downright frigid across the entire state of Minnesota and that also
includes the Twin Cities metropolitan areas.  Temperatures at this hour are well below zero and wind chills are
at dangerous levels. The National Weather Service has issued wind chill advisories and warnings statewide
through the daytime hours later today.

With this frigid Arctic air mass in place, temperatures will very slowly modify to tolerable levels by Tuesday as it
might get up to 10° by then.  It will remain dry throughout the period with the exception of a slight chance of snow
on Monday night.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=mpx&storyid=12260&source=0
"Dangerous wind chills continue into Saturday"

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, MN on January 18, 2008
A WIND CHILL ADVISORY is in effect until 6:00 PM Central Standard Time on Saturday evening.

Cold air has engulfed the region on northwest winds which continue to blow at 10 to 15 MPH.
Temperatures will continue to drop quickly into the overnight with winds only subsiding gradually.

This will create dangerous wind chills. Already, wind chills of -25° to -30° have been reported late this evening
across portions of southern Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. These wind chills will continue to fall overnight
into the -30° to -40° category. Temperatures will only moderate gradually Saturday as northwest winds continue.
Wind chills of -25° to -35° will continue during late Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.
Therefore a Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect for the entire area of central and south central Minnesota
and west central Wisconsin until 6:00 PM Saturday.

Wind chill advisories mean that very cold air and strong winds will combine to generate dangerously low wind chills.
This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
If you must venture outdoors overnight into Saturday, make sure you wear a hat and gloves.
Keep blankets and extra clothing in your car if you travel.

PLEASE NOTE:
Minneapolis' weather conditions listed directly below is not from University of Minnesota as it usually is listed.
Due to that site malfunctioning, I am using another location just blocks south of the central business district.
Unfortunately, there were no humidity and dew point readings available for this report.
I will put together graphics pages as soon as possible.


MINNEAPOLIS
downtown weather conditions as of 1:50 AM Central Time

-10°

clear

Wind Chill: -25°
Visibility: 10 miles
Wind: NNW at 7 MPH, gusting to 13 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.35 inches (stationary)
Ceiling: Unlimited
Saturday's air quality forecast:  Good
Saturday's downtown Minneapolis forecast:  Clear with a low of -15° and wind chills between -26° to -36°.


METROPOLITAN AREA MAP OBSERVATIONS...

St. Paul
-9° clear
Wind: WNW at 8 MPH, gusting to 18 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -13° and wind chills between -26° to -31°.


Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
-12° clear
Wind: WNW at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -29°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -13° and wind chills between -26° to -31°.


Eden Prairie, MN
-13° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -14° and wind chills between -27° to -32°.


Blaine, MN
-11° clear
Wind: WSW at 5 MPH
Wind Chill: -23°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -14° and wind chills between -26° to -31°.


White Bear Lake, MN
-11° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -15° and wind chills between -26° to -36°.


Stillwater, MN
-13° clear
Wind: N at 6 MPH, gusting to 12 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -15° and wind chills between -26° to -36°.


Crystal, MN
-12° clear
Wind: W at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -13° and wind chills between -26° to -31°.


Minnetonka, MN
-12° clear
Wind: W at 1 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -15° and wind chills between -26° to -36°.


Woodbury, MN
-11° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -15° and wind chills between -26° to -36°.



OTHER REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS...

Apple Valley, MN
-12° clear
Wind: Calm


Bloomington, MN
-12° clear
Wind: Calm


Brooklyn Park, MN
-10° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH, gusting to 10 MPH
Wind Chill: -24°


Coon Rapids, MN
-10° clear
Wind: WSW at 3 MPH


Cottage Grove, MN
-9° clear
Wind: Calm


Eagan, MN
-11° clear
Wind: WNW at 2 MPH


Lakeville, MN
-16° clear
Wind: W at 5 MPH
Wind Chill: -29°


Plymouth, MN
-13° clear
Wind: SW at 4 MPH, gusting to 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -24°



ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA…

Aberdeen, SD
-11° clear
Wind: WNW at 12 MPH
Wind Chill: -31°
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy with a low of -15° and wind chills between -30° to -35°.


Bismarck, ND
-12° clear
Wind: W at 3 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low around -18° and wind chills near -35°.


Brainerd, MN
-16° clear
Wind: W at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -34°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -21° and wind chills near -39°.


Duluth, MN
-18° clear
Wind: WNW at 18 MPH
Wind Chill: -41°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -18° and wind chills near -41°.


Eau Claire, WI
-12° clear
Wind: W at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -29°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -12° and wind chills between -24° to -29°.


Fargo, ND
-19° clear
Wind: W at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -36°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -22° and wind chills near -40°.


Grand Forks, ND
-20° clear
Wind: W at 9 MPH
Wind Chill: -40°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -19° and wind chills near -39°.


Green Bay, WI
-4° clear
Wind: WNW at 14 MPH
Wind Chill: -23°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -6° and wind chills between -20° to -25°.


Hibbing, MN
-18° clear
Wind: W at 5 MPH
Wind Chill: -31°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -25° and wind chills near -43°.


International Falls, MN
-22° clear
Wind: W at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -40°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -24° and wind chills near -41°.


Mankato, MN
-9° clear
Wind: WNW at 10 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -14° and wind chills between -28° to -33°.


Marquette, MI
-7° clear
Wind: W at 3 MPH
Overnight forecast:  40% chance of snow showers with a low of 1° and wind chills between -15° to -20°.


Minot, ND
-9° clear
Wind: SW at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -15° and wind chills near -35°.


Pierre, SD
-5° clear
Wind: NW at 9 MPH
Wind Chill: -22°
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy with a low of -5° and wind chills between -16° to -21°.


Rapid City, SD
-7° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Mostly cloudy with a low of -3° and wind chills between -8° to -13°.


Roseau, MN
-16° clear
Wind: W at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -24° and wind chills near -40°.


St. Cloud, MN
-15° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -29°
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -19° and wind chills between -34° to -39°.


Thief River Falls, MN
-22° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -38°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -21° and wind chills near -42°.


Williston, ND
3° light snow
Wind: WSW at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -11°
Visibility: 9 miles
Overnight forecast:  Mostly cloudy with a low of -15°.


Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
-14° clear
Wind: WNW at 11 MPH
Wind Chill: -35°
Visibility: 15 miles
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -20° and wind chills near -34°.


Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
-21° clear
Wind: W at 13 MPH
Wind Chill: -45°
Visibility: 15 miles
Overnight forecast:  Clear with a low of -31° and wind chills near -47°.



36-HOUR FORECAST FOR MINNEAPOLIS (through Sunday)...
(courtesy of the National Weather Service)

OVERNIGHT
Clear. Low around -13°. Wind chill values between -26° and -31°. West-northwest wind around 11 MPH.

LATER TODAY
Sunny and cold.  High near -1°. Wind chill values between -21° and -31°.
West-northwest wind between 9 and 11 MPH.

TONIGHT
Mostly clear. Low around -14°. Wind chill values between -20° and -25°.
West-northwest wind between 5 and 8 MPH.

SUNDAY
Mostly sunny and cold. High near 0°. Wind chill values between -14° and -24°.
Light north-northwest wind.

[Localonthe8s]

-22 degrees? Ouch!

[NYCTWCjunkie]

Frigid conditions continue in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and across the entire state of Minnesota
during this overnight period. Wind chill readings will once again dip down to dangerously low levels,
but thankfully winds are relatively light to keep it from being much worse than it potentially could be.

PLEASE NOTE:
Minneapolis' weather conditions listed directly below is not from University of Minnesota as it usually is listed.
Due to that site still malfunctioning, I am using the same alternate location as yesterday morning's report.
Unfortunately, once again there were no humidity and dew point readings available for this update.
I will put together graphics pages as soon as possible.


MINNEAPOLIS
downtown weather conditions as of 1:05 AM Central Time

-9°

clear

Wind Chill: -22°
Visibility: 10 miles
Wind: N at 6 MPH, gusting to 11 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.40 inches (rising)
Ceiling: Unlimited
downtown Minneapolis' overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -17°.
Sunday's air quality forecast:  Good



METROPOLITAN AREA MAP OBSERVATIONS...

St. Paul
-7° clear
Wind: NW at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -22°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -17°. Wind chill values between -20° and -25°.


Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
-10° clear
Wind: WNW at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -23°


Eden Prairie, MN
-11° clear
Wind: NW at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -16°. Wind chill values between -20° and -25°.


Blaine, MN
-11° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -18°. Wind chill values between -23° and -28°.


White Bear Lake, MN
-10° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -17°.


Vadnais Heights, MN
-10° clear
Wind: WSW at 1 MPH, gusting to 4 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -17°.


Stillwater, MN
-11° clear
Wind: NNW at 5 MPH, gusting to 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -23°
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -15°.


Crystal, MN
-11° clear
Wind: WNW at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -17°. Wind chill values between -22° and -27°.


Minnetonka, MN
-12° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -17°.


Woodbury, MN
-10° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -15°.



OTHER REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS...

Apple Valley, MN
-11° clear


Bloomington, MN
-13° clear
Wind: Calm


Brooklyn Park, MN
-11° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH, gusting to 9 MPH
Wind Chill: -24°


Coon Rapids, MN
-10° clear
Wind: Calm


Cottage Grove, MN
-8° clear
Wind: Calm


Eagan, MN
-10° clear
Wind: WNW at 2 MPH


Lakeville, MN
-16° clear
Wind: W at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°


Plymouth, MN
-10° clear
Wind: Calm



ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA…

Aberdeen, SD
-16° clear
Wind: SSW at 3 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy. Low around -20°. Wind chill values between -25° and -30°.


Bismarck, ND
-13° clear
Wind: ENE at 5 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy. Low around -20°.


Brainerd, MN
-14° clear
Wind: WNW at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -29°
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -21°. Wind chill values near -31°.


Duluth, MN
-15° clear
Wind: WNW at 14 MPH
Wind Chill: -38°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -16°. Wind chill values near -35°.


Eau Claire, WI
-12° clear
Wind: WSW at 3 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -21°. Wind chill values between -27° and -32°.


Fargo, ND
-19° clear
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -26°. Wind chill values near -42°.


Grand Forks, ND
-20° clear
Wind: NW at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: -38°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -26°. Wind chill values near -42°.


Green Bay, WI
-10° clear
Wind: W at 14 MPH
Wind Chill: -31°
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -15°. Wind chill values between -30° and -35°.


Hibbing, MN
-16° clear
Wind: NW at 15 MPH
Wind Chill: -40°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -25°. Wind chill values near -40°.


International Falls, MN
-23° clear
Wind: W at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: -40°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -27°. Wind chill values near -40°.


Mankato, MN
-7° clear
Wind: NW at 10 MPH
Wind Chill: -23°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -15°. Wind chill values between -19° and -24°.


Marquette, MI
-13° clear
Wind: WSW at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -29°
Overnight forecast:
Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of snow showers. Low around -4°. Wind chill values between -15° and -20°.


Minot, ND
0° overcast with haze
Wind: Calm
Visibility: 6 miles
Overnight forecast:  Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. Low around -17°.


Pierre, SD
4° overcast
Wind: SSE at 3 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of snow. Low around -5°. Wind chill values between -10° and -18°.


Rapid City, SD
8° overcast
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Overcast with a 60% chance of snow. Low around 3°. Wind chill values between -6° and -12°.


Roseau, MN
-14° clear
Wind: W at 9 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -27°. Wind chill values near -44°.


St. Cloud, MN
-16° clear
Wind: NW at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -19°. Wind chill values between -24° and -29°.


Thief River Falls, MN
-18° clear
Wind: NW at 3 MPH
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear. Low around -27°. Wind chill values near -44°.


Williston, ND
-9° partly cloudy
Wind: Calm
Overnight forecast:  Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. Low around -13°.


Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
-14° clear
Wind: WNW at 9 MPH
Wind Chill: -31°
Visibility: 15 miles
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -24°. Wind chill values near -42°.


Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
-23° clear
Wind: WNW at 11 MPH
Wind Chill: -45°
Visibility: 15 miles
Overnight forecast:  Clear. Low around -27°. Wind chill values near -49°.



36-HOUR FORECAST FOR MINNEAPOLIS (through Monday)...
(courtesy of the National Weather Service)

OVERNIGHT
Mostly clear. Low around -17°. Wind chill values between -22° and -27°. West-northwest wind 3 to 5 MPH.

LATER TODAY
Mostly sunny. High near 5°. Wind chill values between -17° and -27°. West-northwest wind 3 to 5 MPH.

TONIGHT
Mostly cloudy. Low around -6°. Wind chill values between -12° and -17°. North-northwest wind 3 to 5 MPH.

MONDAY
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 7°. Wind chill values between -9° and -19°. North-northeast wind 5 to 7 MPH.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

While it won't be for actual air temperatures, this overnight period may have the coldest wind chill readings
so far this winter season. They may dip below -50° in some locations across Minnesota and North Dakota
as well as parts of Wisconsin.

Yesterday brought a brief period of snow to the Twin Cities metropolitan area, so winds could blow the snow around
in spots. With this latest Arctic air mass that has entrenched itself into the Upper Midwest region of the
United States as well as south central Canada, it will keep temperatures well below average that would be typical
for the first third of February. It is not expected to get above zero for a high temperature later today, but the air
will moderate gradually over the next five days. There is a good chance for snow on Monday, but for the majority
of this timeframe it is expected to be dry.

Given the current frigid conditions and winds kicking up from time to time in which it could be really gusty,
the National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Warning across much of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities.
See the hyperlink I provided below.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=mpx&storyid=12613&source=0
"Dangerous wind chills into Sunday morning..."

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, MN on February 9, 2008
A WIND CHILL WARNING is in effect until 12:00 PM Central Standard Time today.

Arctic air surging into area on harsh northwest winds...

Expect wind chill values of -35° to -45° overnight and Sunday morning with northwest winds of 20 to 30 MPH.
Low temperatures will reach the -10° to -18° range.

A wind chill warning means the combination of very cold air and strong winds will create dangerously low
wind chill values. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

Just as is the case with my other recent entries in this weather thread, I will put together the graphics pages
as soon as possible.


MINNEAPOLIS
Weather conditions from the University of Minnesota as of 1:00 AM Central Time

-6°

clear

Wind Chill: -27°
Visibility: 8 miles
Humidity: 57%
Dew Point: -18°
Wind: WNW at 19 MPH, gusting to 27 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.28 inches (rising)
Ceiling: Unlimited
downtown Minneapolis' overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy. Low around -15°. Wind chills could be as low as -42°.
Sunday's air quality forecast: Good



METROPOLITAN AREA MAP OBSERVATIONS...

St. Paul
-8° clear and windy
Wind: NW at 29 MPH, gusting to 41 MPH
Wind Chill: -36°
Visibility: 9 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -13°. Wind chill values could be as low as -37°.


Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
-9° fair and windy
Wind: WNW at 20 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Wind Chill: -34°
Visibility: 10 miles


Eden Prairie, MN
-9° partly cloudy with blowing snow
Wind: WNW at 16 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Wind Chill: -31°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -13°. Wind chill values could be as low as -37°.


Blaine, MN
-9° clear and windy
Wind: WNW at 21 MPH, gusting to 26 MPH
Wind Chill: -34°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -16°. Wind chill values could be as low as -41°.


White Bear Lake, MN
-10° clear
Wind: NW at 14 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -15°. Wind chill values could be as low as -42°.


Stillwater, MN
-9° clear
Wind: WNW at 9 MPH, gusting to 18 MPH
Wind Chill: -26°
Visibility: 9 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -15°. Wind chill values could be as low as -42°.


Crystal, MN
-9° clear
Wind: WNW at 18 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°
Visibility: 8 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -13°. Wind chill values could be as low as -37°.


Minnetonka, MN
-9° clear
Wind: NW at 13 MPH
Wind Chill: -30°
Visibility: 8 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -15°. Wind chill values could be as low as -42°.


Woodbury, MN
-10° clear
Wind: N at 9 MPH, gusting to 15 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Visibility: 7 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -15°. Wind chill values could be as low as -42°.



OTHER REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS...

Apple Valley, MN
-12° clear
Wind: NW at 5 MPH, gusting to 13 MPH
Wind Chill: -25°


Bloomington, MN
-10° partly cloudy
Wind: WNW at 5 MPH, gusting to 11 MPH
Wind Chill: -22°
Visibility: 10 miles


Brooklyn Park, MN
-9° clear
Wind: NW at 17 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°
Visibility: 8 miles


Coon Rapids, MN
-9° clear
Wind: NW at 10 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Visibility: 10 miles


Cottage Grove, MN
-8° clear
Wind: W at 8 MPH, gusting to 21 MPH
Wind Chill: -21°
Visibility: 7 miles


Eagan, MN
-9° partly cloudy
Wind: NW at 8 MPH, gusting to 19 MPH
Wind Chill: -24°
Visibility: 10 miles


Lakeville, MN
-11° partly cloudy
Wind: WNW at 14 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°


Plymouth, MN
-6° clear
Wind: N at 1 MPH
Visibility: 8 miles



ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA…

Aberdeen, SD
-9° clear and windy
Wind: NW at 23 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Wind Chill: -34°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -21°. Wind chill values could be as low as -36°.


Bismarck, ND
-12° clear
Wind: NW at 18 MPH, gusting to 22 MPH
Wind Chill: -36°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy with a low of -22°. Wind chill values could be as low as -45°.


Brainerd, MN
-13° clear
Wind: WNW at 16 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH
Wind Chill: -36°
Visibility: 8 miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -21°. Wind chill values could be as low as -47°.


Duluth, MN
-16° mostly cloudy with blowing snow
Wind: NW at 23 MPH, gusting to 32 MPH
Wind Chill: -45°
Visibility: 6 miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -18°. Wind chill values could be as low as -44°.


Eau Claire, WI
-10° clear and windy
Wind: W at 22 MPH, gusting to 30 MPH
Wind Chill: -36°
Visibility: 8 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy with a low of -15°. Wind chill values could be as low as -40°.


Fargo, ND
-13° overcast and windy with haze
Wind: NW at 23 MPH, gusting to 31 MPH
Wind Chill: -40°
Visibility: 5 miles
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear and windy with a low of -20°. Wind chill values could be as low as -41°.


Grand Forks, ND
-16° clear and windy
Wind: NW at 22 MPH
Wind Chill: -43°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Mostly clear with a low of -23°. Wind chill values could be as low as -47°.


Green Bay, WI
2° clear and windy
Wind: WNW at 28 MPH, gusting to 39 MPH
Wind Chill: -22°
Visibility: 7 miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -11°. Wind chill values could be as low as -40°.


Hibbing, MN
-17° partly cloudy and windy with haze
Wind: NW at 23 MPH, gusting to 36 MPH
Wind Chill: -45°
Visibility: 4 miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -25°. Wind chill values could be as low as -53°.


International Falls, MN
-20° clear
Wind: WNW at 17 MPH, gusting to 26 MPH
Wind Chill: -47°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -24°. Wind chill values could be as low as -49°.


Mankato, MN
-7° overcast and windy
Wind: NW at 23 MPH, gusting to 36 MPH
Wind Chill: -32°
Visibility: 9 miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -13°. Wind chill values could be as low as -37°.


Marquette, MI
-2° light snow and windy
Wind: WNW at 26 MPH, gusting to 37 MPH
Wind Chill: -27°
Visibility: 4 miles
Overnight forecast:  Scattered snowers and windy with a low of -4°. Wind chill values could be as low as -25°.


Minot, ND
-19° clear and windy
Wind: WNW at 21 MPH, gusting to 31 MPH
Wind Chill: -47°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy with a low of -23°. Wind chill values could be as low as -49°.


Pierre, SD
1° overcast and windy
Wind: NNW at 21 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Wind Chill: -22°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy with a low of -23°. Wind chill values could be as low as -49°.


Rapid City, SD
-1° overcast and windy
Wind: N at 20 MPH
Wind Chill: -23°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:
Overcast with a 50% chance of snowers and a low of -5°. Wind chill values could be as low as -14°.


Roseau, MN
-13° overcast with haze
Wind: WNW at 18 MPH, gusting to 23 MPH
Wind Chill: -38°
Visibility: 4 miles
Overnight forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy. Low around -25°. Wind chill values could be as low as -50°.


St. Cloud, MN
-11° light snow
Wind: WNW at 18 MPH, gusting to 25 MPH
Wind Chill: -34°
Visibility: 1¼ miles
Overnight forecast:
Partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow. Low around -18°. Wind chill values could be as low as -44°.


Williston, ND
-18° clear
Wind: WNW at 5 MPH
Wind Chill: -31°
Visibility: 10 miles
Overnight forecast:
Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of snow. Low around -24°. Wind chill values could be as low as -44°.


Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
-14° light snow and windy
Wind: WNW at 29 MPH, gusting to 37 MPH
Wind Chill: -44°
Visibility: 6 miles
Overnight forecast:
60% chance of flurries with blowing snow at times. Low of -26°. Wind chills could be as low as -45°


Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
-19° partly cloudy and windy with blowing snow
Wind: NW at 23 MPH
Wind Chill: -47°
Visibility: 8 miles
Overnight forecast:
30% chance of flurries with blowing snow at times. Low of -26°. Wind chills could be as low as -49°.



36-HOUR FORECAST FOR MINNEAPOLIS (through Monday)...
(courtesy of the National Weather Service)

OVERNIGHT
Partly cloudy and windy. Low around -13°. Wind chill values between -32° and -37°.
Northwest wind between 25 to 28 MPH with gusts as high as 39 MPH.

LATER TODAY
Sunny and cold. High near -3°. Wind chill values between -28° to -38°.
Northwest wind 15 to 18 MPH decreasing to between 7 to 10 MPH. Winds could gust as high as 26 MPH.

TONIGHT
Increasing cloudiness with a 20% chance of snow after midnight. Low around -8°.
Wind chill values between -16° to -26°. West wind 5 to 10 MPH becoming south-southeast.

MONDAY
Overcast with a 70% chance of snow. High near 11. Wind chill values between -18 to -28.
South-southeast wind between 9 to 14 MPH.

[NYCTWCjunkie]

THE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS POSTED BELOW AREN'T CURRENT. THEY ARE FROM 90 MINUTES AGO.

The north end of a major storm system that is moving across the nation's heartland today is bringing
wintry precipitation to the Twin Cities and parts of the Upper Midwest. While it is snowing in some parts of
the region, warmer air coming up from the south is changing some of the precipitation to a mix of rain and snow.
It will change back to snow tonight as it will become steadier and accumulate. The National Weather Service has
issued a Winter Storm Watch for Minneapolis and St. Paul through tomorrow morning.

Temperatures aren't expected to reach 40° until Wednesday where the snow will be done.
The next round of snow may come by the end of the week.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, MN on March 17, 2008
A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect from this evening to Tuesday morning.

A Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from this evening through Tuesday morning.

The watch covers much of central Minnesota as well as portions of south central Minnesota and
west central Wisconsin. Some cities in the watch include New Ulm, Redwood Falls, Madison, Glenwood,
Little Falls, St. Cloud, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Minneapolis, Cambridge, Mora, Balsam Lake and Rice Lake.

Wet snow is expected this morning with a mixture of rain, sleet and snow this afternoon. However, by later tonight,
mixed precipitation is expected to rapidly change over to all snow as a strong upper level disturbance pushes
toward the area from the eastern Rockies. Heavy snow is expected tonight with 6 or more inches of snow expected
in a 50 to 75 mile wide corridor from Redwood Falls across Hutchinson, Willmar, St. Cloud, Litchfield and Little Falls.
The western Twin Cities metro area is expected to be on the eastern edge of the heaviest snowfall
with this system.

Persons planning travel need to be prepared for the potential of heavy snow and monitor later forecasts
for possible warnings.

A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant snow, sleet or ice accumulations that
may impact travel. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts.

Here is my WeatherSTAR 4000 emulator video for this report.
A hyperlink to the YouTube video clip page is also provided.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIYnDRdJuWA

"Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport weather - March 17, 2008 at 11:20 AM"


































METROPOLITAN AREA MAP WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
St. Paul... southeast at 12 MPH
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... east-southeast at 10 MPH

METROPOLITAN AREA NON-MAP WIND GUSTS
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 13 MPH

UPPER MIDWEST/SOUTH CENTRAL CANADIAN WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada... south-southwest at 17 MPH
Grand Forks, North Dakota... south at 16 MPH
Marquette, Michigan... south-southwest at 16 MPH
Aberdeen, South Dakota... south at 14 MPH
Green Bay, Wisconsin... south-southeast at 12 MPH
International Falls, Minnesota... south at 12 MPH

LATEST REGIONAL NON-MAP WIND CHILL READINGS
Lakeville, Minnesota... 19°
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 28°

LATEST VISIBILITIES
Lakeville, Minnesota... 1½ miles
Crystal, Minnesota... 1¾ miles
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 1.8 miles
Plymouth, Minnesota... 1.8 miles
Duluth, Minnesota... 2 miles
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... 2 miles
Minnetonka, Minnesota... 2 miles
Minot, North Dakota... 3 miles
Blaine, Minnesota... 4 miles
Bloomington, Minnesota... 4 miles
Eagan, Minnesota... 4 miles
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... 4 miles
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 5 miles
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 5 miles
Grand Forks, North Dakota... 5 miles
St. Paul... 5 miles
Stillwater, Minnesota... 5 miles
White Bear Lake, Minnesota... 5 miles
Woodbury, Minnesota... 5 miles



Central Minnesota radars within the last 1 hour (courtesy of WCCO-TV)...

[NYCTWCjunkie]

You never would've known today is the first full day of spring if you were in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
The second snowstorm in less than a week is expected to blanket Minneapolis and St. Paul with 1 to 3 inches
of the white stuff before all is said and done. Light to moderate snow is falling regionwide with visibility lowered
to as much as just ¼ mile.

The threat of snow showers remains in the forecast for just about the entire Easter holiday weekend with
high temperatures mainly being in the mid to upper 30s. For now, the National Weather Service has issued
a Winter Storm Warning for the entire Twin Cities area until 7:00 PM tonight. See the statement below.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, MN on March 21, 2008
A WINTER STORM WARNING is in effect until 7:00 PM Central Daylight Time.

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 7:00 PM Central Daylight Time this evening.

The Winter Storm Warning includes the cities of Minneapolis, Morris, Canby, Willmar, Hutchinson, Albert Lea
and Northfield.

Moderate to heavy snowfall will continue this morning from west central into east central Minnesota from Olivia
to the southern Twin Cities Metro to Red Wing. Visibilities will occasionally be reduced to one half mile
in these locations. Snowfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches occurred overnight in the warning area,
including at Olivia, Montevideo, Glencoe and Chanhassen. Widespread snowfall accumulations of 6 to 9 inches
of heavy wet snow are expected by this evening.

Roads may continue to be treacherous today. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities and
use caution while driving.

The graphics pages plus an emulator video clip will be posted as soon as possible.


MINNEAPOLIS
Weather conditions from the University of Minnesota as of 11:00 AM Central Time

34°

light snow

Wind Chill: 24°
Visibility: 0.8 mile
Humidity: 92%
Dew Point: 28°
Wind: ENE at 11 MPH, gusting to 18 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.09 inches (stationary)
Ceiling: 900 feet
Today's air quality forecast: Good
Today’s downtown Minneapolis forecast: Periods of snow. High near 34°.


METROPOLITAN AREA MAP OBSERVATIONS...

St. Paul
30° light snow
Wind: E at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: 23°
Visibility: ¾ mile
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 35°.


Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
31° light snow
Wind: ENE at 12 MPH, gusting to 18 MPH
Wind Chill: 21°
Visibility: ¾ mile


Eden Prairie, MN
30° snow and freezing fog
Wind: E at 13 MPH
Wind Chill: 19°
Visibility: ¼ mile
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 35°.


Blaine, MN
30° light snow
Wind: ENE at 14 MPH
Wind Chill: 19°
Visibility: ¾ mile
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 35°.


White Bear Lake, MN
29° light snow
Wind: ENE at 4 MPH, gusting to 11 MPH
Wind Chill: 25°
Visibility: 0.8 mile
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 34°.


Crystal, MN
30° light snow
Wind: E at 10 MPH, gusting to 20 MPH
Wind Chill: 21°
Visibility: ¾ mile
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 35°.


Minnetonka, MN
33° snow and freezing fog
Wind: ENE at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: 27°
Visibility: 0.2 mile
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 34°.


Woodbury, MN
30° light snow
Wind: ENE at 10 MPH, gusting to 20 MPH
Wind Chill: 21°
Visibility: 1½ miles
Today's forecast:  Periods of snow. High near 34°.



OTHER REGIONAL OBSERVATIONS...

Apple Valley, MN
31° snow
Wind: ENE at 6 MPH, gusting to 12 MPH
Wind Chill: 25°
Visibility: ½ mile


Bloomington, MN
31° light snow
Wind: Calm
Visibility: 0.8 mile


Brooklyn Park, MN
30° light snow
Wind: NE at 9 MPH, gusting to 12 MPH
Wind Chill: 22°
Visibility: 0.8 mile


Coon Rapids, MN
32° light snow
Wind: ENE at 3 MPH, gusting to 7 MPH
Visibility: 0.8 mile


Cottage Grove, MN
31° light snow
Wind: ENE at 5 MPH
Wind Chill: 26°
Visibility: 1½ miles


Eagan, MN
30° light snow
Wind: Calm
Visibility: 0.8 mile


Lakeville, MN
26° snow
Wind: ENE at 12 MPH
Wind Chill: 15°
Visibility: ½ mile


Plymouth, MN
33° light snow
Wind: Calm
Visibility: 0.8 mile


Stillwater, MN
31° light snow
Wind: E at 4 MPH, gusting to 8 MPH
Wind Chill: 27°
Visibility: 0.8 mile



ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL CANADA...

Aberdeen, SD
30° overcast
Wind: NNW at 12 MPH
Wind Chill: 19°
Visibility: 5 miles
Today's forecast:  Overcast. High near 34°.


Bismarck, ND
32° overcast
Wind: SSW at 3 MPH
Visibility: 5 miles
Today's forecast:  Overcast with a 30% chance of rain and snow showers. High near 40°.


Brainerd, MN
30° overcast
Wind: E at 7 MPH
Wind Chill: 23°
Today's forecast:  Overcast with a 60% chance of snow. High near 33°.


Duluth, MN
26° mostly cloudy and windy
Wind: E at 20 MPH
Wind Chill: 12°
Today's forecast:  Partly cloudy and windy. High near 29°.


Fargo, ND
30° light snow
Wind: E at 3 MPH
Visibility: ¾ mile
Today's forecast:  Overcast with a 40% chance of snow. High near 33°.


Grand Forks, ND
30° light snow
Wind: E at 13 MPH
Wind Chill: 19°
Visibility: 1 mile
Today's forecast:  Overcast with a 60% chance of snow. High near 33°.


Green Bay, WI
30° fair
Wind: E at 18 MPH
Wind Chill: 17°
Today's forecast:  Overcast with a 30% chance of snow. High near 33°.


International Falls, MN
26° sunny
Wind: SE at 9 MPH
Wind Chill: 17°
Today's forecast:  Partly cloudy. High near 33°.


Marquette, MI
23° sunny
Wind: SSE at 3 MPH
Today's forecast:  Partly cloudy. High near 31°.


Minot, ND
31° overcast
Wind: ESE at 8 MPH
Wind Chill: 23°
Visibility: 2½ miles
Today's forecast:  Overcast with a 40% chance of rain and snow showers. High near 38°.


Rapid City, SD
44° sunny
Wind: W at 3 MPH
Today's forecast:  Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain and snow showers. Thunder is also possible. High near 48°.


Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
23° sunny
Wind: E at 9 MPH
Wind Chill: 12°
Visibility: 20 miles
Today's forecast:  Mix of clouds and sunshine. High near 28°.


Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
32° sunny
Wind: S at 6 MPH
Wind Chill: 27°
Visibility: 15 miles
Today's forecast:  Mix of clouds and sunshine. High near 37°.



36-HOUR FORECAST FOR MINNEAPOLIS (through Saturday night)...
(courtesy of the National Weather Service)

TODAY
Periods of snow. High near 35°. East-northeast wind between 9 to 13 MPH. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

TONIGHT
Overcast with a 30% chance of snow. Low around 22°. North-northeast wind between 6 to 9 MPH becoming calm.

SATURDAY
Mostly cloudy with a 30% chance of snow, mainly after 1:00 PM. High near 37°.
Calm wind becoming northwest between 4 to 7 MPH.

SATURDAY NIGHT
Mostly cloudy with a 20% chance of snow. Low around 23°. Northwest wind around 8 MPH.



Central Minnesota radars within the last 1 hour (courtesy of WCCO-TV)...

[NYCTWCjunkie]

For the second time in ten days, the Twin Cities metropolitan area as well as parts of the Upper Midwest region
of the United States has a major winter storm on its hands. Minneapolis and St. Paul is being dumped on with
moderate snow across the entire area with pockets of heavier snow in southern Minnesota. Up to ten inches of
snow could accumulate from this storm as the calendar flips its next page to April in less than 24 hours from now.

A Heavy Snow Warning is in effect for the Twin Cities until 6:00 AM Central Daylight Time on tomorrow morning.
There no word yet that I can find that the Minnesota Twins' 2008 season opener at the Metrodome against
the Los Angeles Angels has been postponed or not due to the bad weather. If the Twins decide to play
even though the game is indoors, don't expect much of a crowd on hand given the terrible road conditions
around the Twin Cities. Here is the latest from the National Weather Service:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, MN on March 31, 2008
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING is in effect until 6:00 AM Central Daylight Time on Tuesday morning.

Snow covered much of central and southern Minnesota at mid morning. The snow was heavy over southwest
through central areas of the state including the Redwood Falls, New Ulm and Hutchinson areas with visibilities
at ¼ mile. The heavy snow will spread northeast across east central areas of the state by 12:00 PM,
including the Twin Cities metropolitan area and by early this afternoon for west central Wisconsin. The heavy snow
will continue across the area through this evening before diminishing significantly in intensity overnight.
Snow accumulations from six to eight inches are expected in the warning area with some nine inch amounts possible
near the Highway 8 corridor of west central Wisconsin. In addition, northeast winds will increase to 20 to 25 MPH
this afternoon and evening with gusts to 35 MPH. This may lead to some blowing and drifting snow in open areas.
Hazardous traveling conditions will occur within the warning area.

A Heavy Snow Warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring.
Significant amounts of snow are forecast that will make travel dangerous, including on interstates 35, 90 and 94.
Only travel in an emergency. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle
in case of an emergency.

Here is the latest local coverage of today's winter storm in the Twin Cities.

WCCO-TV (Minneapolis) (March 31):
http://wcco.com/weathernewsstories/winter.storm.snow.2.687925.html
"Heavy snow expected to continue into evening"

KSTP-TV (St. Paul) (March 31):
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S396092.shtml?cat=1
"Late March snow stuns Twin Cities"

KMSP-TV (Eden Prairie, MN) (March 31):
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6173390&version=6&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
"Timeline of snow through Tuesday"

KARE-TV (Minneapolis) (March 31):
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=502895
"March leaving like a lion: 7+ inches of snow possible in some areas"


Here is my WeatherSTAR 4000 emulator video for this report.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3PkmraCn4s

"Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport weather - March 31, 2008 at 12:35 PM"


I have not added the transparent byline on the photo yet, but to give the appropriate copyright credit,
the current conditions graphic page background is by twincitynights of Flickr.



PLEASE NOTE:
A backup reporting site was used for Blaine, Minnesota in this report.
Normally, the primary reporting site for this municipality is Anoka County Airport.































METROPOLITAN AREA MAP WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Woodbury, Minnesota... northeast at 15 MPH, gusting to 18 MPH
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... north-northeast at 15 MPH
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... northeast at 14 MPH
Crystal, Minnesota... north-northeast at 12 MPH, gusting to 22 MPH
St. Paul... northeast at 12 MPH
Blaine, Minnesota... north-northeast at 10 MPH, gusting to 16 MPH

METROPOLITAN AREA NON-MAP WIND GUSTS
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 14 MPH
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 13 MPH
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 11 MPH
Eagan, Minnesota... 10 MPH

UPPER MIDWEST/SOUTH CENTRAL CANADIAN WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Duluth, Minnesota... east-northeast at 21 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Aberdeen, South Dakota... north-northeast at 17 MPH
Grand Forks, North Dakota... northeast at 17 MPH
Fargo, North Dakota... northeast at 16 MPH, gusting to 25 MPH
Bismarck, North Dakota... east-northeast at 15 MPH
Green Bay, Wisconsin... northeast at 15 MPH
International Falls, Minnesota... north at 12 MPH

LATEST WIND CHILL READINGS
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 24°
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 29°
Eagan, Minnesota... 29°
Plymouth, Minnesota... 29°
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 30°
Lakeville, Minnesota... 30°

LATEST VISIBILITIES
Bloomington, Minnesota... ½ mile
Eagan, Minnesota... ½ mile
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... ½ mile
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... ½ mile
Minnetonka, Minnesota... ½ mile
St. Paul... ½ mile
Stillwater, Minnesota... ½ mile
Aberdeen, South Dakota... ¾ mile
Blaine, Minnesota... ¾ mile
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
Lakeville, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
Plymouth, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
White Bear Lake, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
Woodbury, Minnesota... 0.8 mile
Crystal, Minnesota... 1 mile
Green Bay, Wisconsin... 1¼ miles
Bismarck, North Dakota... 2½ miles
Rapid City, South Dakota... 3 miles
Duluth, Minnesota... 10 miles
Fargo, North Dakota... 10 miles
Grand Forks, North Dakota... 10 miles
International Falls, Minnesota... 10 miles
Marquette, Michigan... 10 miles
Minot, North Dakota... 10 miles
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada... 15 miles



Central Minnesota radars within the last 1 hour (courtesy of WCCO-TV)...

[Mike M]

Another late season snowstorm will move into the Twin Cities tonight and snow will continue throughout tomorrow and tomorrow night. About an inch is forecasted for Minneapolis tonight, with an additional 4-8 tomorrow and 1-2 inches tomorrow night.

To avoid possible confusion, the "MSP Int'l" naming convention you see on the metro map refers to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Since the full name is too long to fit on the map, I had to come up with an abbreviation, and this is the best I could come up with.

TWC calls for a Blizzard tonight for Aberdeen, something you don't often see on the forecast, especially this late. I don't know what icon is used for blizzards on the old icon set, so I just used the snow/windy icon. Minneapolis reported a rare condition on weather.com at 7 PM CDT tonight as well: wintry mix and thunder. The wintry mix icon was used on weather.com, but it would be interesting seeing a wintry mix/thunder on the IntelliStar (I've only seen it once on Weatherscan before in 2005).

I plan to do another update tomorrow afternoon, so stay tuned.

















 

[NYCTWCjunkie]

We are five days away from May 1st and yet Old Man Winter is hanging on for dear life in the extreme northern fringe
of the United States. Temperatures are at least 20° to 25° below normal for late April in the Twin Cities and
they're seeing snow this morning. Little to no accumulation is expected, but at least a coating on the ground
will turn the calendar back at least two months.

Temperatures will gradually moderate over the next 5 to 7 days as any precipitation this weekend
will change over to rain showers. Forecast high temperatures are expected to be in the mid 40s for tomorrow and Monday
and then into the 50s to near 60° by Wednesday.

Here is one report from this morning on WCCO-TV that covered this spring snow event.

WCCO-TV (Minneapolis) (April 26):
http://wcco.com/weathernewsstories/winter.snow.minnesota.2.708795.html
"Old Man Winter still moving through Minnesota"




PLEASE NOTE:
Today's forecast information that is for the afternoon hours and not the next 120-160 minutes.
I have abbreviated the International Falls ID on my regional weather maps in order to fit Thunder Bay on it.
I wanted to show the disparity between the two locations in regards to current weather and forecast data.





























METROPOLITAN AREA MAP WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Blaine, Minnesota... west at 23 MPH, gusting to 33 MPH
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... west at 22 MPH, gusting to 33 MPH
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... west at 22 MPH, gusting to 30 MPH
Crystal, Minnesota... west at 21 MPH, gusting to 35 MPH
St. Paul... west at 18 MPH, gusting to 32 MPH
Woodbury, Minnesota... west-southwest at 15 MPH
White Bear Lake, Minnesota... west-southwest at 12 MPH, gusting to 18 MPH
Minnetonka, Minnesota... west at 10 MPH

METROPOLITAN AREA NON-MAP WIND GUSTS
Eagan, Minnesota... 26 MPH
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 22 MPH
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 19 MPH
Bloomington, Minnesota... 13 MPH
Stillwater, Minnesota... 13 MPH

UPPER MIDWEST/SOUTH CENTRAL CANADIAN WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Grand Forks, North Dakota... north-northwest at 29 MPH, gusting to 40 MPH
Rapid City, South Dakota... north-northwest at 26 MPH, gusting to 37 MPH
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada... north at 24 MPH, gusting to 32 MPH
Bismarck, North Dakota... northwest at 21 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Marquette, Michigan... southwest at 20 MPH, gusting to 31 MPH
International Falls, Minnesota... north-northwest at 20 MPH, gusting to 26 MPH
Aberdeen, South Dakota... northwest at 20 MPH
Green Bay, Wisconsin... southwest at 18 MPH, gusting to 31 MPH
Duluth, Minnesota... west at 18 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH
Minot, North Dakota... west -northwest at 17 MPH
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada... south-southwest at 16 MPH, gusting to 32 MPH

LATEST REGIONAL NON-MAP WIND CHILL READINGS
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 21°
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 22°
Eagan, Minnesota... 22°
Bloomington, Minnesota... 23°
Cottage Grove, Minnesota... 28°
Stillwater, Minnesota... 29°

LATEST VISIBILITIES
Duluth, Minnesota... 1 mile
International Falls, Minnesota... 1 mile
Plymouth, Minnesota... 1.2 miles
Crystal, Minnesota... 1¼ miles
Eden Prairie, Minnesota... 1½ miles
Minnetonka, Minnesota... 1½ miles
Lakeville, Minnesota... 1¾ miles
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota... 2 miles
St. Paul... 2½ miles
Blaine, Minnesota... 3 miles
Coon Rapids, Minnesota... 3 miles
White Bear Lake, Minnesota... 3 miles
Bloomington, Minnesota... 6 miles
Eagan, Minnesota... 6 miles
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport... 6 miles
Stillwater, Minnesota... 9 miles
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada... 12 miles
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada... 15 miles



Central Minnesota radars within the last 1 hour (courtesy of WCCO-TV)...