Recent Snows And Future Rains Have Minnesota Inching It's Way To - KMSP-TV

We all knew going in that March would be a wild month, and so far its living up to that reputation. Starting off the month with a seasonal snowfall nearly two feet below average, the Twin Cities has now narrowed that gap to 11.1 inches and counting. Thanks to the "Clipper on Steroids", that blew through here on the 4th and 5th of this month, we now have hopes of once again being normal.

Below are a few graphics of where we stand this season on snowfall in the Twin Cities, and how we stack up to the past few seasons. Keep in mind that 55.9" is average, and we still have April to consider. As we all know, our April showers can get a little flaky.

So you may be asking yourself, "How does this help us in the drought?"

Below is a graphic of the latest drought report from the U. S. Drought Monitor. Not much change over the past several weeks. We will see how the snow pack gets absorbed as we make our way into spring.

Its not just snow but rain that can help ease the moderate to severe drought being experienced across southern Minnesota. This weekend we will not only set our clocks ahead, but also the temperatures, as another storm takes aim on Minnesota. This latest system looks to heat things up and wash away some of that snow we just accumulated. Below is just ONE model's look at how much moisture is expected through Sunday.

Look closely and you can see that the southern half of Minnesota falls in the range of ½ to ¾ of an inch of moisture. If this was all snow, and we used an average ratio of 11 to 1, then this could easily be a 4 -8 inch snowfall. However, things are usually not that easy this time of year. The path of this storm will be very important as to just how much rain versus snow occurs across the Twin Cities. If too much rain falls too quickly, and temps rise too much above the freezing mark, then we could be talking flooding in some parts of Southern Minnesota. Stay tuned to FOX 9 on air and online as we track this latest system.

Frazier