It's Saturday

Which means there won't be any weather updates from Lileks. I shall bravely step into his wingtips and see if I can't provide that which you are undoubtedly missing.

SIGNIFICANT WINTER STORM FOR MUCH OF MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN TODAY INTO SUNDAY.

A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES WILL CONTINUE
TO STRENGTHEN BEFORE LIFTING NORTHEAST OVER THE MIDWEST TODAY. THE
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO PASS JUST SOUTH OF MINNESOTA
AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. A LARGE AREA OF SNOW IS BEGINNING TO
OVERSPREAD THE REGION THIS MORNING...ENTERING SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AROUND DAYBREAK AND REACHING CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN BY LATE MORNING. THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR FROM MIDDAY THROUGH EARLY EVENING. VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE A HALF MILE OR LESS. THERE WILL ALSO BE A BRISK EAST-SOUTHEAST WIND DURING THE DAY.

WARMER AIR ALOFT WILL SPREAD INTO FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND
PORTIONS OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...FROM DURAND TO EAU CLAIRE
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THIS WILL CHANGE THE SNOW
TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN...ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM
REDWOOD FALLS THROUGH THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS OF THE TWIN CITIES TO
EAU CLAIRE. SLEET COULD SPREAD ACROSS THE REST OF THE TWIN CITIES
METROPOLITAN AREA DURING SATURDAY EVENING...AS WELL AS THROUGH
MENOMONIE AND CHIPPEWA FALLS IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES AWAY FROM THE REGION
TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA IS EXPECTED TO
TRANSITION INTO A LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT SNOW SCENARIO
AS DRIER AIR ALOFT WORKS INTO THE SYSTEM. THIS TRANSITION WOULD
BEGIN THIS EVENING ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND WORK EASTWARD INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT ARE FORECAST TO RANGE FROM 3 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA NEAR THE IOWA BORDER. SOME LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE MAKING TRAVEL ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS IN THIS AREA. AROUND 10 INCHES OF SNOW IS FORECAST FROM REDWOOD FALLS THROUGH THE TWIN CITIES TO EAU CLAIRE. SHOULD SLEET TAKE LONGER TO MOVE IN...SNOW AMOUNTS COULD EXCEED 10 OR EVEN 12 INCHES. ABOUT A FOOT OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FROM WILLMAR THROUGH MORA AND CAMBRIDGE...ON EAST TO LADYSMITH. 9 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW IS FORECAST FOR THE MORRIS...ALEXANDRIA AND LITTLE FALLS AREAS. A RUMBLE OF THUNDER IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION FROM FAIRMONT TO THE TWIN CITIES TO RED WING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS
EVENING.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS WINTER STORM WILL BE GUSTY WINDS. WINDS
WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH FROM THE
EAST OR EAST-SOUTHEAST TODAY AND THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL SHIFT
TO THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE DAY ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ALONG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY.

INTENSE SNOWFALL WILL LEAD TO REDUCED VISIBILITY AND RAPID
ACCUMULATIONS CAUSING HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL CONDITIONS. AREAS WHERE SNOW TURNS TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS DUE TO POTENTIAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS.

Interesting. It seems as if the NWS finally chipped out for some punctuation lessons for its meterologists, but that they're not wholly sticking.

And, yes, at 9:43 am CST, it's already snowing. Good times! Good Times!

Now you'll excuse me while I go and make sure the snowblower will start up. Keep your fingers crossed.

Posted by Kathy at December 1, 2007 09:44 AM | TrackBack