Measurable chance of snow this week; Next week it will be quieter

We expect two snow chances this week that will bring measurable amounts of snow to the area before a calmer weather pattern sets in next week.

Today will be the region’s first measurable snowfall, with cloudy skies across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. Temperatures will be seasonal, with highs above 20°C and wind speeds of up to 15mph at times. Snow showers will move in from the west and southwest into the mid-morning hours and reach the Mankato area by the early afternoon hours. From there there will be intermittent snow showers throughout the day before ending between 8pm and 10pm this evening. The highest amounts of snow will be possible around the western border of Minnesota and South Dakota with up to 3 inches of snow. A dust cloud of up to 5 cm is possible in areas east of there, and in Mankato it is expected to average about 2 cm by this evening. Once it snows late tonight, skies will remain rather cloudy as temperatures drop into the teens by tomorrow morning.

Wednesday will remain calm and cold with a mix of cloudy skies and sunshine. We will see more sunshine in the afternoon hours than in the morning and evening hours. Despite some afternoon sun, temperatures will be on the colder side, with highs in the upper teens and winds up to 10 mph throughout the day. Skies will become quite cloudy during the late afternoon and early evening hours as the second snowfall approaches the area. Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., light snow showers may occur in southern Minnesota, continuing off and on through the overnight hours into Thursday morning, when temperatures drop to around 12 degrees.

Thursday will be cloudy with widespread snow showers across the area. Despite the snow showers and cloudy skies, temperatures will be more seasonal, with highs above 20°C and winds of up to 20mph, with gusts of up to 30mph possible at times. As a breeze is expected, light drifts and limited visibility due to blowing snow are expected. Snow will fall into the late night hours before it ends with mostly cloudy skies and temperatures dropping into the single digits by Friday morning. We expect slightly higher amounts of snow in the region on Thursday than on Tuesday.

Once it snows, we will see mostly cloudy skies, becoming mostly sunny during the late morning hours on Friday. Although more sunshine is expected across the area, temperatures will be colder again, with highs in the low teens and winds up to 10 miles per hour. Friday night will be mostly cloudy as temperatures fall into the single digits by Saturday morning.

Saturday and Sunday next weekend will be relatively calm, with a mix of sunshine Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning and a return of cloud cover Sunday evening. Temperatures will slowly warm over the weekend, with highs on Saturday in the upper teens but mid 20s on Sunday afternoon. Winds will be light this weekend, varying between 5 and 15 mph, with occasional gusts of up to 20 mph at times on Sunday. Although clouds will move in late Sunday evening, conditions will remain calm overnight Sunday into Monday as temperatures drop into the upper teens Monday morning.

Monday through Thursday next week will be fairly cloudy, with mostly cloudy skies expected across the region. Temperatures will be above average during Christmas week as a high pressure area moves in off the west coast. This means we stay on the calmer side weather-wise; and, on the warmer side, the temperature. Other than that, we expect high temperatures to rise and remain in the low to mid 30s, with winds between 10 and 20 mph throughout the week. Right now we’re not expecting any precipitation until next week, which means we’re unfortunately not expecting a white Christmas in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa this year. Overnight conditions will remain calm and cloudy as temperatures fall into the mid to upper 20s the next morning.

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