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After another stretch of well below average high temperatures, we are finally going to warm things up. High temps will reach the upper 40s today, low to mid 50s tomorrow. Unfortunately, once again we’ll only manage to hold on to the mild air for a couple of days before plunging back to temperatures that are more typical of early to mid February.  

Clouds will linger across parts of eastern South Dakota, western Iowa and Minnesota early this morning, but they’ll blow out of here rather quickly. Today will be mostly sunny with high temps reaching the mid to upper 40s in Sioux Falls and in locations east of the James River. Much of central South Dakota will warm into the 50s today. Tomorrow will be even warmer with highs reaching the low to mid 50s.

By late tomorrow into tomorrow night, a cold front will blast across the Northern Plains, bringing colder air that will stick around through the rest of the week, the weekend and beyond. High temps will only reach the 40s on Thursday and Friday with colder 30s (and not just 30s… low to mid 30s) on Saturday and Easter Sunday. In addition to the cold, areas of light snow – mixed with rain at times – will be possible on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

As of right now, long-range models are suggesting temperatures will remain below average through most of next week. Keep your fingers crossed and hope for a change, I’ll let you know how things go.

We are watching a powerful winter/spring storm system that will impact much of our region today, tonight and tomorrow. Areas of rain will develop today and then mix with and eventually change to snow tonight. Most places will get mostly rain, however parts of northeastern South Dakota and much of Minnesota could get heavy snow later today, tonight into tomorrow morning.

There will be plenty of moisture with the system. Most places will get one-half inch to an inch of liquid precipitation over the next couple of days. Unfortunately in some places that precip will come in the form of snow. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, Pipestone, Worthington and the Lake Okoboji area. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for areas east of that line and include Sisseton, Milbank, Clear Lake, Marshall, Redwood Falls, Windom and Jackson. Warnings and advisories will go into effect later this morning across northeastern South Dakota, this afternoon across parts of Minnesota. Check our WEATHER ALERTS page for details on your area.

Stay tuned for updates, there could still be changes to this forecast depending on the temperature profile and when and if rain changes to snow in some of these locations.

Here’s a breakdown for places that will be impacted by winter weather over the next 24 hours:

SIOUX FALLS
Cloudy and windy with rain today. Rainfall amounts of up to one-quarter inch will be possible by the end of the day. Rain will continue into this evening eventually mixing with then changing to snow late tonight. An additional one-half inch or more of liquid precipitation is possible with around an inch of snow accumulation. Snow will continue into tomorrow morning with some areas of light freezing drizzle possible as well.

ABERDEEN
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 7 AM today through 7 AM Saturday. Today will be cloudy, windy and colder with snow that will mix with rain at times during the day. Snow will continue into tonight. Total accumulation amounts of 3 to 7 inches will be possible. Amounts will depend on when the rain changes to snow.

WATERTOWN
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 10 AM today through 7 AM Saturday. Areas of snow will mix with rain at times today with snow continuing into tonight. Snowfall accumulation amounts of 4 to 8 inches will be possible. Heavier amounts are likely north and east of Watertown. Amounts will depend on when the rain changes to snow.

MARSHALL
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 4 PM today through 10 AM Saturday. Light snow will mix with rain this morning and continue into this afternoon. Snowfall accumulation of around in inch is possible through today. Snow, rain and freezing rain is likely this evening with snow becoming heavy by late evening and continuing through the night. Snow accumulation amounts of 6 to 10 inches will be possible. Light snow mixed with freezing rain will continue into tomorrow morning, ending by early afternoon.

We continue to monitor a winter storm system that will bring areas of rain, freezing rain and snow to the region late tonight through Friday night. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Sioux Falls area and parts of central and east central South Dakota from tomorrow morning through tomorrow night. Winter Storm Watch is in effect for much of southern South Dakota.

Freezing rain will develop by tomorrow morning with freezing rain changing to sleet and snow tomorrow afternoon. Ice accumulation of one-tenth of an inch or more is possible tomorrow with snow accumulation amounts ranging from around 2 to 5 inches by late tomorrow afternoon. Wind gusts to between 25 and 35 mph will create areas of blowing snow during the day tomorrow. Snow will end and the wind will decrease tomorrow night.

South and west of Sioux Falls, in the Winter Storm Watch area, there’s a greater potential for freezing rain and significant icing. 0.10″ to 0.30″ or more of ice will be possible late tonight through tomorrow, followed by 2-4 inches of snow. Ice will make travel difficult and could cause problems with power lines and trees.  

Stay tuned for updates. This forecast could change depending on when rain changes to snow.

A powerful winter/spring storm will impact much of the region over the next couple of days. Scattered thunderstorms are moving across parts of the tri-state region early this morning. That will quickly change later this morning as cold air rolls in and rain changes to snow.

A Blizzard Warning is in effect for much of central and southern South Dakota, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect for much of eastern and northeastern South Dakota and much of Minnesota and a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Sioux Falls area today, tonight and tomorrow.

The most treacherous conditions will occur across central and southern South Dakota where 6 to 10 inches of snow will be accompanied by 50 to 60 mph wind gusts that will create white-out blizzard conditions. Because the system will impact each part of our region differently, I’m going to break the forecast down by region:

Sioux Falls:
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect from 9 AM today through 6 PM Tuesday

Areas of rain and freezing rain this morning will quickly mix with and then change to snow. Snow will continue today, tonight into tomorrow, ending tomorrow afternoon.

Total snow accumulation 3 to 6 inches. Heavier amounts west.

Wind gusts to between 25 and 35 mph will create blowing snow that will reduce visibility.

Aberdeen and Watertown:

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 6 PM Tuesday

Rain will mix with snow this morning, changing to all snow by noon. Heavy snow is likely through this afternoon and tonight with snow ending by around noon tomorrow.

Total snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches with some places getting up to 12 inches.

Wind gusts to between 20 and 30 mph will create blowing snow.

Pierre:

A Blizzard Warning is in effect through 6 PM Tuesday

Snow is likely today and tonight. 6 to 10 inches of accumulation is possible through tomorrow morning with localized areas of 12 inches or more. Snow will be heavy at times with extreme wind gusts to between 40 and 60 mph. White out blizzard conditions are likely today, tonight and tomorrow. Snow will end and the wind will gradually decrease tomorrow afternoon. The strongest wind gusts of 50+ mph are likely this afternoon and this evening however, wind gusts to between 40 and 50 mph will continue through tonight and into tomorrow morning. Wind will decrease to between 15 and 25 mph tomorrow afternoon.

Get ready for a sunny, mild start to the week. Today will be mostly sunny with high temps ranging from the low 40s in Sioux Falls to the mid to upper 30s across much of South Dakota.

Tonight will be partly cloudy with areas of fog developing toward morning. With temperatures dropping into the teens overnight, the fog will frost the roads.

The rest of the week will be mostly dry and quite a bit warmer than we’ve been for the last week or so. High temps will climb into the low to mid 30s each day.

Extreme southeastern South Dakota and parts of Iowa and Minnesota will get clipped by a system late Wednesday into Thursday. We could get a quick shot of light snow in Sioux Falls on Wednesday night. Parts of southern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa could get some minor accumulation.

Saturday and Sunday are looking good. Both days should be partly cloudy with highs in the upper 30s to low 40s. There is a potential system that could impact the region with rain and then snow late Sunday and Monday. Depending on how that pans out, we might have to tweak Sunday’s forecast a bit. It’s only Monday and a lot could change between now and then. I’ll have updates throughout the week.