Our next storm system will create a messy mix of rain, ice, and snow for eastern Minnesota.
The return of milder temperatures will feel nice but also come at a cost. Layers of warmer air left over during the night and early morning hours Monday combined with surface temps that will drop below freezing will create the potential for a coating of ice across central MN into northwest WI during the AM hours Monday... the mix then turns to snow midday into the afternoon as colder air wraps into the back side of the system:
Here's a look at 'forecast radar' / precipitation type:
The best chance for ice appears to be mainly outside the immediate 494/694 loop in the Twin Cities. That's because temperatures there inevitably slip a couple more degrees than do spots closer to the 'urban heat island.'
All the models are in pretty good agreement as you can see by 4 different scenarios:
The fact that some models produce 0.25"+ of ice though in east central MN, north of the Twin Cities is concerning. We can hope that the salt on the main highways from the recent snow will help some however, at least initially.
The better snowfall accumulations will be mainly northeast of the Twin Cities where it'll be colder to start and where temps will drop the quickest.
Here are 4 main computer model scenarios all showing roughly similar trends/patterns:
So, while it looks like the Twin Cities area will see very little snow, we can't count out the possibility of maybe up to 1" in the eastern or northeastern suburbs if cold air moves in a little faster... either way, this will not be a BIG storm, but could be a mess for some areas where the ice develops.
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