textproduct: Twin Cities

KEY MESSAGES

- Today through Tonight, decreasing winds with cold temperatures.

- Tuesday Afternoon/Evening, high confidence in 1 to 2 inches of snow, brining slick roads for the evening commute.

- Thursday through Saturday, temperatures warm, with highs in the 50s by Saturday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1113 AM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Today and tonight, early afternoon satellite imagery with surface obs showed clearing skies across the region and a bright fresh snowpack from across the entire upper Midwest. A surface high pressure was located across the Dakotas, with a low pressure over the Great Lakes, resulting in northwest winds of 15 to 25 mph. As we head towards evening, high pressure will build in and winds will diminish. This will set the stage for cold temperatures across the region, with overnight lows falling below zero. Winds will be light, so wind chills will not be much cooler than the ambient air temperature.

Tuesday, confidence remains high in a quick moving band of snow to slide southeast across the region Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday evening. Moisture will be limited, so expect snowfall rates around a quarter to a half inch per hour for several hours. The end result will be widespread totals around 2 inches of snow. Some locations will pick up 3, with a maximum of about 4 inches. Winds will be south/southeast around 15 to 25 mph as the snow falls, so could have some drifting snow as well. The snow will end Tuesday night.

Wednesday through Monday, lingering impacts from snow-covered roads will lead to slow travel Wednesday morning. However, temperatures will warm to near 40, which will lead to a quick recovery on roads. Looking ahead, the main story is this warming trend continuing into the weekend. As mentioned in the previous forecast, warm air will spread across the region, which should lead to highs in the lower 50s by Saturday. There is a small chance (10 to 20 percent) for a rain/snow mix as a weak system passes through on Sunday.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 645 PM CDT Mon Mar 16 2026

Low VFR clouds are exiting east away from RNH and EAU and winds remain gusty at most sites to start the period. Mostly clear skies persist tonight as winds gradually weaken and shift out of the S/SE by late tomorrow morning. A quick moving Clipper will likely bring a round of light to moderate snow tomorrow afternoon and evening, bringing most terminals down to 1-2SM vis while snow is falling. Accumulations will be capped around 1-3 inches.

KMSP...Most likely onset of -SN is around 21-23z and snow is expected to persist about 5-7 hours. Lower cigs may stick around through Wednesday, otherwise visibility should improve shortly after the light snow wraps up.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ WED...VFR. Wind SW 5kts. THU...VFR. Wind NW to SW 5kts. FRI...VFR. Wind SW to NW 5-10kts.

MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...None. WI...None.