727
FXUS63 KMPX 252330
AFDMPX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
530 PM CST TUE NOV 25 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- LATE NOVEMBER WINTER STORM UNDERWAY ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST.
SEVERAL INCHES OF HEAVY SNOW, STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS, AND
RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE SIGNIFICANT TRAVEL
IMPACTS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
- SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO BLOW AND DRIFT WEDNESDAY. MUCH COLDER AIR
SETTLES INTO THE REGION FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.
- ADDITIONAL SNOW CHANCES ARRIVES LATE FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. A
FEW INCHES OF ACCUMULATION APPEAR POSSIBLE SOUTH OF I-94.
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 115 PM CST TUE NOV 25 2025
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT...RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. WINDS WILL
INTENSIFY AS THE TRANSITION OCCURS, CREATING PERIODS OF WHITE-OUT
CONDITIONS AND SLICK TRAVEL. PLEASE AVOID ANY NON-ESSENTIAL
TRAVEL.
WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... THE WELL
ADVERTISED LATE NOVEMBER STORM SYSTEM IS RAPIDLY CIRCULATING OVER
THE EASTERN DAKOTAS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE APPEARANCE OF THE
DYNAMIC PROCESSES THE COMPACT STORM IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING IS
STUNNING ON GOES-IR SATELLITE! THE SYSTEM'S CLOSED UPPER-LOW IS
PROGGED TO ADVANCE EAST ACROSS CENTRAL MN THIS AFTERNOON AND
CONTINUE EASTWARD TOWARDS CENTRAL WI BY MID-MORNING TOMORROW,
EVENTUALLY TAKING ON A BIT OF NEGATIVE TILT ALOFT. IN RESPONSE,
~1008MB SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WILL UNDERGO CYCLOGENESIS OVER EASTERN
MN/WESTERN WI AND DEEPEN INTO A MATURE LOW-990S MB SURFACE CYCLONE
OVER THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES BY MIDDAY TOMORROW. GIVEN THIS
EVOLUTION, AN INTENSE DEFORMATION BAND OF SNOWFALL SUPPORTED BY A
TROWAL AND MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS WILL YIELD HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES
AND SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION. AS A RESULT OF A
SOUTHERLY JOG IN THE STORM SYSTEM OVER THE PAST 24-36 HOURS,
LOCATIONS ALONG AND NORTH OF I-94 ACROSS CENTRAL MN REMAIN THE FOCUS
FOR THE GREATEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS (6-8" FROM ROUGHLY ALEXANDRIA TO
ST. CLOUD TO LADYSMITH). A MORE WIDESPREAD WRAP-AROUND SHIELD OF
SNOWFALL WILL EXPAND ACROSS SOUTHERN MN, SUPPORTING A FORECAST OF 4-
6" FROM LAC QUI PARLE EAST TOWARDS THE TWIN CITIES. FARTHER SOUTH, A
COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION CAN BE EXPECTED. THERE ARE TWO
OTHER PLAYERS IN THIS FORECAST -- STRONG NORTHWESTERLY WINDS, WHICH
WILL SUSTAIN BETWEEN 20-30 MPH AND GUST UPWARDS OF 40-45 MPH
(POSSIBLE NEAR 50 MPH IN ISOLATED INSTANCES!) IN TANDEM WITH
FALLING SNOW AND RAPIDLY FALLING TEMPERATURES. IT'S THE
COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS THAT PROMPTED THE
WINTER STORM WARNING ACROSS THE MAJORITY OF CENTRAL/SOUTHERN MN
AND PORTIONS OF WESTERN WI NORTH OF I-94 THROUGH 9 AM WEDNESDAY.
ADDITIONALLY, A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CONTINUES ACROSS FAR
SOUTHERN MN (ALONG I-90), GOODHUE (MN), AND PIERCE, PEPIN, DUNN,
CHIPPEWA, AND EAU CLAIRE (WI). TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL BE
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED AS RAIN TRANSITIONS TO SNOW AND CONTINUES
TO FALL/BLOW THROUGH THE NIGHT. SLICK TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE.
APPROXIMATE RAIN TO SNOW TRANSITION TIMES:
**SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN INITIAL AFD ISSUANCE AT 1 PM**
WEST CENTRAL MN (ALEXANDRIA) - HEAVY SNOW IS ALREADY REPORTED
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.
CENTRAL MN (ST. CLOUD/WILLMAR/MORA) - 4-6 PM
TWIN CITIES - WEST METRO (7-9 PM), EAST METRO (8-10 PM)
SOUTHERN MN (MANKATO/FAIRMONT/ALBERT LEA) - (9-11 PM)
WEST CENTRAL WI (LADYSMITH/EAU CLAIRE) - (MIDNIGHT - 2AM)
TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE SNOW FORECAST...THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES
WILL OCCUR IN THE FIRST 2-3 HOURS AFTER THE TRANSITION FROM RAIN TO
SNOW. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ACROSS CENTRAL MN REVEAL A SATURATED DGZ
THAT IS ROUGHLY 3-5K FEET DEEP. STRONG OMEGA FORCING, CONDITIONAL
SLANTWISE INSTABILITY, AND MID-LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS WILL SUPPORT
SNOWFALL RATES OF 1"/HR, WITH A NARROW CORRIDOR OF 1"+/HR RATES
POSSIBLE. GIVEN THE SWIFT MOVING NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM, THE
RESIDENCE TIME FOR THE HEAVIEST RATES IS OF A SHORTER DURATION,
HOWEVER A LONGER PERIOD OF 0.5"/HR SNOWFALL RATES WILL PERSIST INTO
THE NIGHT. SNOW CHARACTER/SLR'S WILL RUN ON THE WETTER SIDE DURING
THE INITIAL TRANSITION (SAY, ROUGHLY 7-10:1), HOWEVER THE STRONG CAA
AND DYNAMIC NATURE OF THIS SYSTEM WILL ALLOW FOR A SLR'S IN THE ~13-
15:1 RANGE TO BE MORE OF A COMMONPLACE THROUGH MUCH OF THE EVENT.
CAMERAS ACROSS THE EASTERN DAKOTAS REVEAL A LARGE FLAKE SIZE, WHICH
CERTAINLY IS UNDERSTANDABLE GIVEN THE DEPTH OF DGZ -- HOWEVER, THE
EXPECTED MAGNITUDE OF THE WIND FIELDS BELOW THE DGZ MAY BE SOMEWHAT
OF A NEGATIVE ASPECT TO SNOWFLAKE SIZE TONIGHT DUE TO FRACTURING
(THIS IS WHY WE'RE NOT RUNNING WITH HIGHER SLR'S DESPITE THE
MAGNITUDE OF CAA).
WE HAVE HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE EVOLUTION OF THIS WINTER STORM OVER
THE NEXT 18 OR SO HOURS. ONE POTENTIAL "FAILURE MODE" FOR SNOW
AMOUNTS IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM'S DRY SLOT CURRENTLY OBSERVED
ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY WRAPPING IN FROM NE/IA. WE DO NOT THINK THIS
FEATURE IS GOING TO HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON THE SNOWFALL SCENARIO
ACROSS CENTRAL MN/WESTERN WI. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DRY
SLOT MAY CUT SNOWFALL TOTALS ACROSS SOUTHERN MN BY ABOUT AN INCH OR
SO. *WHILE THIS IS AN AREA OF UNCERTAINTY, IT WILL NOT HAVE MUCH
OF AN IMPACT ON THE SENSIBLE CONDITIONS, AS THE STRONG WINDS WILL
ONLY NEED A FEW INCHES OF FALLING SNOW TO CREATE A VERY CHALLENGING
TRAVEL SITUATION.*
SNOW ENDS FROM WEST TO EAST HEADING TOWARDS DAYBREAK WEDNESDAY.
CRASHING TEMPERATURES AND BREEZY WINDS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM
WILL KEEP THE POTENTIAL FOR BLOWING SNOW AROUND THROUGH AT LEAST MID-
MORNING (THIS IS WHY THE HEADLINES ARE IN PLACE THROUGH 9 AM).
MORNING WIND CHILLS WILL DIP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AND WILL ONLY
REACH THE MID-TEENS TOMORROW AFTERNOON. THE STORM SYSTEM WILL HAVE
USHERED IN A MUCH COLDER AIRMASS THAT AIMS TO STICK AROUND FOR THE
FORESEEABLE FUTURE -- LOOK FOR HIGHS IN THE 20S AND LOWS IN THE TEENS
THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.
REST OF THE WEEK/WEEKEND...HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE
NORTH CENTRAL CONUS HEADING INTO THANKSGIVING DAY. ANTICIPATE A
RATHER TRANQUIL DAY OF WEATHER, WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND
HIGHS IN THE 20S. HOWEVER, THE BRIEF BREAK IN THE ACTIVE PATTERN
WILL BE SHORT- LIVED, AS AN ACTIVE UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN WILL
SEND ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM THROUGH THE CENTRAL CONUS HEADING INTO
THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. DRIVING THIS STORM SYSTEM IS A SHORTWAVE
TROUGH THAT AIMS TO DIG FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TOWARDS THE
CENTRAL PLAINS. THE WAVE WILL TRACK ALONG A REMNANT BAROCLINIC
ZONE THAT IS FORECAST TO SETUP ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS
FOLLOWING TODAY'S STORM SYSTEM/SOUTHWARD EXPANSION OF THE COLD
CANADIAN AIR MASS. WHILE WE'RE STILL A COUPLE OF DAYS OUT (AND
THE FORECAST IS LIKELY TO FLUCTUATE IN SOME CAPACITY), THAT 12Z
GUIDANCE PAINTS A PICTURE THAT IS RATHER SNOWY ACROSS SOUTHERN
MN TO OPEN THIS WEEKEND. LATEST CONSENSUS DEPICTS A MID-LEVEL
FRONTOGENIC BAND OF SNOW DEVELOPING OVER THE DAKOTAS/SW MN LATER
FRIDAY, FOLLOWED BY A MORE EXPANSION SHIELD OF PRECIPITATION
HEADING INTO EARLY SATURDAY. FOLLOWING SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS OVER
THE PLAINS EARLY SATURDAY, THE CYCLONE IS PROGGED TO ADVANCE
NORTHEAST THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. DEPENDING ON THE TRACK, THE
SYSTEM'S REGION OF DEFORMATION SNOWFALL MAY ALSO PASS OVER
PORTIONS OF THE CWA. THE SETUP SUPPORTS THE POTENTIAL FOR
SEVERAL INCHES OF ACCUMULATING SNOW OVER SOUTHERN MN, WITH
PERHAPS A LONGER DURATION LIGHT SNOW EVENT TOWARDS I-94.
GUIDANCE REVEALS NO SHORTAGE OF MOISTURE, AS A PROLONGED FETCH
OF SOUTHERLY FLOW AIMS TO ADVECT PWATS NEARLY ~150 PERCENT OF
NORMAL BY LATE FRIDAY ACROSS SOUTHERN MN. LATEST NBM POP'S ARE
VERY IMPRESSIVE AT THIS DISTANCE, WITH 80-90 POPS ACROSS SOUTH
CENTRAL MN FRIDAY EVENING AND 50-70 POPS ALONG THE I-94
CORRIDOR. STILL SOME PIECES TO PUT TOGETHER WITH MORE SPECIFIC
TIMING, DURATION, AND AMOUNT OF SNOW...BUT THE SLOWER MOVING
"SLIDER" NATURE OF THIS WINTER STORM ARCHETYPE MAY MAKE FOR A
LONGER DURATION LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW EVENT THAT COULD RESULT
IN TRAVEL CHALLENGES FOLLOWING THE HOLIDAY.
A REINFORCING SHOT OF POLAR AIR, CHARACTERIZED BY 850 MB TEMP
ANOMALIES OF ROUGHLY -15C, WILL SEND SURFACE HIGHS INTO THE TEENS
AND LOWS INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS TO CLOSE THE WEEKEND AND OPEN THE
UPCOMING WORK WEEK. OF COURSE, THE LOCALIZED EFFECTS OF A FRESH
SNOWPACK MAY SEND TEMPERATURES BELOW BLENDED GUIDANCE. IT LOOKS LIKE
A VERY COLD START TO DECEMBER!
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/
ISSUED AT 530 PM CST TUE NOV 25 2025
A COMPLICATED SETUP THIS EVENING ACROSS MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN.
WE HAVE AXN AND STC ALREADY IN THE FULL FORCE OF THE SNOW WITH
LIFR OR IFR CONDITIONS. THEN WE HAVE RWF AND MKT IN THE BREAK
BETWEEN THE RAIN AND SNOW. LAST WE HAVE MSP AND THE WI
TERMINALS IN THE RAIN. THE TRANSITION TO SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO
MOVE FROM WEST TO EAST WITH SOME, ESPECIALLY THE SOUTH OF I-94
SITES SEEING A BREAK BETWEEN THE RAIN AND SNOW WITH A BRIEF DRY
SLOT. AS THE TRANSITION TO SNOW OCCURS CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY
DROP QUICKLY TO IFR OR LIFR. WITHIN A HOUR AFTER THE SNOW
STARTS WINDS WILL PICK UP FROM THE NORTHWEST AND PROVIDE FOR A
PERIOD OF THE WORST CONDITIONS WHERE SNOWFALL AND HIGH WINDS
OVERLAP. THIS PERIOD WILL BE ROUGHLY 4 TO 6 HOURS IN LENGTH.
ONCE THE SNOW STARTS TO LIGHTEN UP BLOWING SNOW WILL KEEP
VISIBILITY REDUCED FOR A FEW MORE HOURS. WINDS WILL KEEP BLOWING
THROUGH TOMORROW, BUT AS THE SNOW SETTLES IT WILL BE LESS
BLOWABLE. OVERALL A DIFFICULT PERIOD FOR AVIATION WEATHER WITH
AN EXTENDED PERIOD REQUIRING INSTRUMENT RATING AND EVEN A FEW
POSSIBLE HOURS OF (NON-CORE 30) AIRPORT CLOSURE.
KMSP...COMING TO THE END OF THE RAIN AT TAF ISSUANCE TIME.
STILL SOME VERY LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE, BUT LITTLE IMPACT BEYOND
THE MVFR CEILINGS. WINDS WILL BE COMPLICATED AS SOUTHWEST WINDS
MOVED IN AND WILL LIKELY STICK AROUND UNTIL WE SEE THE SHIFT TO
THE NORTHWEST AROUND THE START OF THE SNOWFALL. SO THE MAIN
IMPACTS WILL ALL BE TIED TO WHEN THE SNOW STARTS. PUSHED BACK
THE START TIME A LITTLE BACK FARTHER TO 04Z WITH THE WORST
CONDITIONS EXPECTED 05Z TO 10Z. SO THANKFULLY THE WORST
CONDITIONS SHOULD BE DURING SOME OF THE QUIETEST TRAFFIC HOURS.
BIGGEST THING TO KEEP AN EYE ON WILL BE HOW QUICKLY THE SNOW
TAPERS OFF AS THE MORNING RUSH STARTS. EVEN IF THE WORST IS
DONE BEFORE THE RUSH THE CONTINUED GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE
BLOWING SNOW AROUND THROUGH MUCH OF THE MORNING. CONDITIONS
SHOULD IMPROVE BY AFTERNOON.
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
THU...CHC MVFR CIGS. WIND NW 10-15G20-25KTS.
FRI...VFR. CHC MVFR/-SN LATE. WIND NW TO NE 5-10KTS.
SAT...VFR. CHC MVFR/-SN EARLY. WIND NE TO NW 10-15KTS.
MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MN...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR DOUGLAS-LAC
QUI PARLE-POPE-STEVENS-SWIFT-TODD.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR BENTON-
CHIPPEWA-KANABEC-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-MILLE LACS-MORRISON-
REDWOOD-RENVILLE-STEARNS-YELLOW MEDICINE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR ANOKA-BLUE
EARTH-BROWN-CARVER-CHISAGO-HENNEPIN-ISANTI-LE SUEUR-
MCLEOD-NICOLLET-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-SIBLEY-WATONWAN-WRIGHT.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR DAKOTA-RAMSEY-RICE-STEELE-WASECA-WASHINGTON.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR GOODHUE.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR
FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-MARTIN.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-MARTIN.
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 9 AM CST WEDNESDAY FOR POLK.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM CST
WEDNESDAY FOR CHIPPEWA-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-PEPIN-PIERCE.
DISCUSSION...STRUS
AVIATION...NDC
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