Updated at 9:15 am
Snow will develop in the west and spread eastward Thursday evening and overnight. Friday will be mostly dry before more snow develops late Saturday into Sunday.
The first of the two systems comes Thursday
The first of two ice-producing systems arrives late Thursday. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for central and southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin Thursday through Thursday night and into early Friday.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect Thursday through Friday morning
NOAA, via Major Weather
Light snow will develop in western Minnesota and spread eastward throughout the day, reaching eastern Minnesota by evening. Overnight snow will be relatively quick, ending early Friday morning.
Rain is forecast from 1pm Thursday to 9am Friday
NOAA, via Major Weather
A wide area of snow will occur primarily across central and southeastern Minnesota.
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Snow showers late Thursday into early Friday
National Weather Service
There are still some variations in the various forecast computer model scenarios for snowfall output. We're looking at the possibility of some heavy bands of 4 to 5, even 6 inches possible in central and southeastern Minnesota.
Various forecast model scenarios for Thursday night snow
NOAA, via Major Weather
While we have one eye on the Jupiter system, we have another eye on a larger, more aggressive storm coming in two waves starting late Saturday and continuing into Tuesday.
Rain is expected from 7 PM Saturday to 7 PM Tuesday
European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts via Main Weather
Complicating the second system will be warm air on Monday that will turn into rain in parts of southern and southeastern Minnesota. This can have a big impact on snow totals and determine where the heaviest amounts fall.
Storm and precipitation type timeline for this weekend and early next week
National Weather Service
Regardless of whether we see rain or not, significant snow will still fall Monday through Tuesday. More than 6 inches (winter storm scale) is likely for much of southern Minnesota.
More than 6 inches of snow is possible Sunday through Tuesday
National Weather Service
While our forecast models vary on where the heaviest snowfall will fall, they all agree on significant snowfall totals.
Pictured below is the 24-hour snow forecast for Sunday through early Monday, one of the heaviest periods of snow. Keep in mind that additional rain and snow totals are expected Monday through Tuesday.
The forecast model shows a chance of snow on Sunday and Monday. Additional snow will be possible Monday night into Tuesday.
NOAA, via Major Weather
If you're looking to return to spring temperatures, the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts is offering some hope by the end of next week. It's outside right now, but temperatures are nearing 60 degrees in southern Minnesota.
It all depends on how much snow falls and where it will be. You can already see variations in temperature based on this possibility:
A maximum is expected by next Friday, March 29
European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts via WeatherBELL Analytics
