Snow likely Tuesday and Thursday followed by very cold weekend ahead

There will be two chances for snow this week with accumulations likely with each system before another big cooldown arrives this weekend.

Tuesday will start out quiet, but plenty of clouds will be overhead. High temperatures are expected to be near-average in the upper 20s to lower 30s. A system will move in from the west with snow developing sometime in the early-to-mid- afternoon hours. Expect snow to continue through much of the evening before wrapping up around midnight. It’ll be a very light snow with accumulations expected to be under 2″.

Wednesday will be a quiet, but colder day with high temperatures in the lower 20s under a partly sunny sky.

The next system, a more potent clipper, arrives by Thursday morning with snow developing and continuing through much of the day. There is still a bit of uncertainty on the track of the system, but accumulations of 2-4″ is possible especially near and north of I-90 with higher amounts across north-central Minnesota, while amounts taper off to around 1″ or less across north Iowa. However, subtle shifts in storm track could alter the amounts and where.

Temperatures will cool off behind the system with temperatures expecting to be in the teens for highs on Friday and Saturday with night lows in the single digits.

The cold snap will be brief as highs punch back into the 20s on Sunday and 30s heading into Christmas week.