Watching A Prolonged, Potent Snowstorm This Week – National Weather Outlook For February 20, 2023

by | Feb 20, 2023 | Weather

National Weather Forecast

On Sunday, we will watch the potential for some snowy weather across the northern tier of the country from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes. Some showers will also be possible in the Southwest and in select areas of the East Coast.

The heaviest snow through Monday will be in the Northwest, where parts of the Cascades and Northern Rockies could see several feet of snow. Rainfall amounts will generally be under 2” where rain does fall.

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Potent Mid-Week Snow Becoming More Likely

Forecast loop from Noon Tuesday to 6 AM Friday.

Meanwhile, a potentially potent system is on deck in the Tuesday-Thursday timeframe, especially across central and southern Minnesota. This system would likely come in a few phases.

  • Late Tuesday-Tuesday Night: A band of snow capable of several accumulating inches is expected across southern and central Minnesota.
  • Wednesday: While snow will continue across southern Minnesota, this may be mainly south of the metro through much of the day.
  • Wednesday Night into Thursday: As the area of low pressure moves through the central United States, heavy snow will lift northward across much of the state during this timeframe. This is the period when the heaviest snow with this system can be expected. Snow will taper off into Thursday Night.

It is still way too early for potential snow totals, but models have been consistent that this could be a high-impact, long-duration storm across the region with – at the low end – several inches of snow possible. If it comes to fruition as models are indicating (which, taken with a grain of salt this far out), there’s the potential of double-digit snow totals in central and southern Minnesota spread out over approximately 2.5-3 days.

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– D.J. Kayser