Douglas: Rain in the metro, but heavy snow in central Minnesota

But 60s look to return by late next week.

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The Minnesota Star Tribune
April 1, 2025 at 7:44PM

Is this Old Man Winter’s last death rattle? Let’s hope so. I’m almost looking forward to construction season in Minnesota. Summers are trending more humid and falls and winters are milder, but our springs are a hot mess. Without the hot part, of course.

The 30-year average April snow at MSP is 3.5 inches. The average for the past seven winters? Double that — 7 inches. It’s almost like April is compensating for the rest of the year.

A changeover to rain today at MSP will start to melt the slush that fell overnight, but the snow continues just north of the metro area. As much as 5-10 inches may pile up from Alexandria and Wadena to Crosby and the Twin Ports. Yikes.

Today’s sun angle is equivalent to that on Sept. 8, so whatever snow winds up in your yard will melt fairly quickly.

And now we enter a dry spell, with big storms parading well south of Minnesota until further notice. Highs approach 50 by the weekend, and weather model guidance shows 60s the latter half of next week.

Leave more time if you’re driving north of MSP today. It’ll looks like February out there.

about the writer

about the writer

Paul Douglas

Columnist

Paul Douglas is a nationally-respected meteorologist, with 40 years of broadcast television and radio experience. He provides daily print and online weather services for the Star Tribune.

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