Brandon Weatherz: Cool today, snow tomorrow night

Happy vernal equinox! Astronomical spring begins today as the sun crosses the equator. A cold front sweeping the Northland early this morning is paving the way for a cool start to the week with highs ranging from mid-20s to mid-30s. Skies will be partly to mostly cloudy overall. Winds are breezy out of the northeast.

A quick round off accumulating snow arrives Tuesday afternoon and tapers off Wednesday morning. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for Cass, Itasca, Koochiching, and North St. Louis Co. from 4 pm Tuesday to 7 am Wednesday. The Watch is in effect along the North Shore from 7 pm Tuesday until 1 pm Wednesday. A widespread 3-6” is expected across northeast Minnesota, the Head of Lake Superior, and toward the Bayfield Peninsula. Localized amounts of 6-10” will be possible along the high terrain of the North Shore. Meanwhile, the rest of east central Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin will see 1-3”.

Snow arrives from the southwest Tuesday afternoon and evening ahead of the system’s warm front, then the snowiest period will be overnight. Winds will also be a contender, gusting near 35 mph and reducing visibility. As the warmer air moves in from the south, rain will enter the mix, especially in northwest Wisconsin, cutting into accumulation potential here. We quiet down Wednesday morning as snow exits to the northeast, but winds will remain blustery, and we’ll be left with a messy morning commute. A relatively quiet and seasonable stretch will then take us through the rest of the week and the weekend.

Today: A mix of clouds and sun. Breezy. High 26. NE wind 10-15 mph.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy and breezy. Low 16. E wind 10-15 mph.

Tomorrow: Cloudy and windy with a chance for snow by evening. High 29. E wind 15-25 mph. Chance of snow: 60%. Accumulation less than an inch.

Tomorrow night: Snow and wind. Low 26. E wind 15-20 mph. Chance of snow: 100%. Accumulation of 3-6” expected.

Wednesday: Chance for snow in the morning, then decreasing clouds. Breezy. High 37. W wind 10-15 mph.

Thursday: Partly cloudy. High 35. NW wind 5-15 mph.

Friday: Partly cloudy. High 37. SW wind 5-10 mph.

Saturday: Partly cloudy. High 39. W wind 5-10 mph.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High 38. N wind 10-15 mph.