Updated: Tue, 09-Mar-2010 11:00pm PST
RAIN EVENT IMPACTING THE AREA MAY TRIGGER SOME SNOW
MELT RESULTING IN RISES ON THE MINNESOTA RIVER
TRIBUTARIES AS WELL AS THE CROW RIVER SYSTEM...
A SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT THE AREA
OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THIS WILL CAUSE SEVERAL
WAVES OF RAINFALL TO CROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. WHILE EACH
WAVE WILL MAINLY BE LIGHT RAINFALL WITH AMOUNTS OF QUARTER
OF AN INCH AND LESS FOR EACH PERIOD OF TONIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY NIGHT. BY FRIDAY MORNING...TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS
WILL AVERAGE BETWEEN 0.5 INCHES IN THE SAUK RIVER VALLEY TO
AROUND AN INCH IN THE CROW AND UPPER MINNESOTA VALLEY INCLUDING THE CHIPPEWA...REDWOOD AND COTTONWOOD RIVERS. SLIGHTLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
ARE EXPECTED IN BLUE EARTH RIVER VALLEY IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA
WITH AMOUNTS OF AROUND 1.25 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
TEMPERATURES FOR WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ARE EXPECTED TO BE HIGHS
IN THE UPPER 30S WITH LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S IN THE UPPER
MINNESOTA RIVER BASIN. FOR THE WEEKEND HIGHS WILL WARM INTO THE
LOWER AND MID 40S.
FOR THE CENTRAL MINNESOTA BASIN FROM NEW ULM TO MANKATO...NORTHEAST
TOWARD HENDERSON AND JORDAN..THE BLUE EARTH BASIN AS WELL AS THE SAUK
AND CROW RIVER SYSTEMS... HIGHS WILL BE IN LOWER TO MID 40S WITH
OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE MID 30S. THESE WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL
ALLOW FOR SOME MELTING OF THE SNOW PACK IN ADDITION TO THE RAIN
INDUCED MELTING.
IN ADDITION TO THE RAINFALL AND THE AIR TEMPERATURES...ANOTHER FACTOR
TO HOW QUICKLY THE SNOW WILL MELT IS THE TEMPERATURE AND WATER
SATURATION OF THE SNOW PACK...OR THE RIPENESS OF THE SNOW PACK.
THE UPPER MINNESOTA RIVER SYSTEM IS LESS RIPE THAN AREAS IN SOUTH
CENTRAL AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA WHERE WARMER TEMPERATURES HAVE HELPED TO
WARM THE SNOW PACK.
IF ALL OF THESE FACTORS COME TOGETHER...WE MAY SEE SOME RISES ON
THE UPPER MINNESOTA AT MONTEVIDEO AND GRANITE FALLS...REDWOOD
RIVER...COTTONWOOD RIVER...BLUE EARTH RIVER...THE SAUK RIVER AND
THE CROW RIVER AT MAYER...DELANO...ROCKFORD AND DELANO.
WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE START OF THE MELT IS STILL A BIG
QUESTION AND AS THE EVENT EVOLVES WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE
INFORMATION.
YOU CAN GET BOTH RIVER AND WEATHER INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET.
OUR ADDRESS IS HTTP://WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/MPX/
$$
DFC
Issuing Weather Forecast Office Homepage
Updated: Tue, 09-Mar-2010 11:00pm PST
DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA THROUGH 6 PM
THIS EVENING...
.A DENSE FOG ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXPANDED NORTH INTO WEST CENTRAL
MINNESOTA FOR TODAY. THE ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE AREA
LOCATED WEST OF A LINE FROM SAUK CENTRE...HUTCHINSON...MANKATO AND
OWATONNA. VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER TO A QUARTER OF A
MILE OR LESS ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA...AS EAST WINDS CONTINUE TO
BRING IN MOIST AIR ACROSS THE SNOW PACK. POCKETS OF NEAR ZERO
VISIBILITY ARE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE IOWA BORDER AND THE
INTERSTATE 90 CORRIDOR.
MNZ073>075-082>085-091>093-101800-
/O.EXT.KMPX.FG.Y.0009.000000T0000Z-100311T0000Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-
FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...REDWOOD FALLS...NEW ULM...ST. PETER...
ST. JAMES...MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...
ALBERT LEA
355 AM CST WED MAR 10 2010
...DENSE FOG ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS EVENING...
THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING.
* VISIBILITY...LOWERING TO A QUARTER OF A MILE OR LESS AND
REMAINING LOW MUCH OF THE DAY.
* IMPACTS...VISIBILITIES WILL BE NEAR ZERO IN SPOTS...ESPECIALLY
DURING THE MORNING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A DENSE FOG ADVISORY MEANS VISIBILITIES WILL FREQUENTLY BE
REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE QUARTER MILE. IF DRIVING...SLOW DOWN...
USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS...AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.
$$
Issuing Weather Forecast Office Homepage