textproduct: Twin Cities

KEY MESSAGES

- Widespread precipitation continues early this morning with snow across western and central Minnesota, freezing rain across northwest Wisconsin, and light rain to the south.

- Rain lifts north through the morning, resulting in a short lull in precip before light snow spreads from west to east during the afternoon and evening.

- The cool air will persist through Tuesday followed by warmer temperatures and more rain chances for the latter half of next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 252 AM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

Today...It's a dreary start to the day with a smorgasbord of precipitation types across the region, and fog and clouds everywhere in between. Winds have turned out of the north as the surface low tracks east into southern Wisconsin, promoting a broad area of weak cold air advection. As temperatures cool down, snow and freezing rain have become more common. The forecast is still on track for the heaviest snow accumulations to fall across west-central into northern Minnesota, and for the greatest icing to occur across a line from Isanti/Kanabec Counties east into northern Wisconsin. Around 3 to 4 hours of freezing rain or unknown precipitation has been reported by several of the AWOSs in that region already tonight. The total extent of ice accumulation or impacts is unknown to us at this time given most people are asleep right now and camera coverage is limited out there. That said, send in some reports if you have any!

The majority of the rain will lift north throughout the morning, and many locations will stay dry until wrap-around snow showers spread east with the occluded low during the afternoon and evening. Any accumulation from this last push of snow will be light (under an inch), though it could lead to brief reductions in visibility, especially as winds become gusty out of the northwest. Light snow and cloud cover will clear out from west to east by this evening.

Sunday through Tuesday...A couple of weak waves will ride down the broader upper level trough, resulting in a series of cold fronts to start next week. This means the breezy northwesterly winds prevail and temperatures remain cool Sunday night through Tuesday night. There will be low chances (30% or less) for light rain and snow with these cold fronts, primarily the initial one on Sunday. A broad region of surface high pressure settles in behind, allowing clouds to clear and winds to calm Tuesday morning. Lows are forecast to be in the teens and single digits to the north.

Wednesday and Beyond...Long range deterministic and ensemble guidance continue to suggest a turn to a more active pattern for the second half of the week. A deepening upper low could track from southeastern Alaska and along the US/Canada border. The strength of this trough will play a role in the surface low evolution. Right now, it places us safely in the warm sector, meaning rain and thunderstorms would be on the table along with highs in the 60s and dewpoints in the upper 40s. A secondary low may follow behind, but the evolution of the first one will certainly have an impact on how active the rest of the week stays.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/

Issued at 1228 PM CDT Sat Apr 4 2026

A messy afternoon on tap as rain & snow showers wrap into the region from the Dakotas. CIGS generally MVFR to IFR throughout this period. Ceilings will begin to rise overnight as the system exits to the northeast. Timing on when CIGs go from MVFR to VFR should be toward the end of the TAF period. Winds will be WNW between 10 to 15 knots, especially for western and southern Minnesota, where some gusts could get as high as 30 knots. Add in falling snow and we could see visibility will fall into IFR and maybe some stretches of LIFR as well. Snow & rain showers taper off this evening around sunset. Another disturbance moves through Sunday AM that could lead to scattered rain & snow showers for a few hours. Added a PROB30 to a few sites that have higher confidence of potential impacts.

KMSP... We'll stick around MVFR through much of the period, but CIGs could drop to IFR when heavier showers move through early to mid afternoon today. Added a PROB30 for Sunday AM for potential rain & snow showers.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/ MON...VFR. Wind NW 10-20kts. TUE...VFR. Wind S 10-15 kts. WED...VFR. Wind SW 10-20 kts.

MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

MN...Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM CDT this evening for Benton- Douglas-Kanabec-Mille Lacs-Morrison-Pope-Stearns-Stevens- Todd. Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM CDT this afternoon for Chippewa-Kandiyohi-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Yellow Medicine. WI...None.