Let it snow, for now

Published 11:59 am Monday, November 12, 2012

Old Man Winter made a brief appearance throughout the region on Monday; however, he may not stay.

According to the National Weather Service in La Crosse, Wis., the Austin area could receive as much as a half-inch of snow on Monday, but that accumulation could melt by Tuesday. From there, daytime highs are forecasted to be in the 40s for the rest of the week.

“We’re just dominated by high pressure for the next nine to 10 days,” said meteorologist Andrew Just.

Email newsletter signup

Just added because the snowfall will not cause any snowpack, it will help the temperatures remain warmer. The NWS forecasts Monday’s high at 29 degrees, a drastic swing from Saturday’s high of 73. West of Minnesota, several states, including portions of Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas, already have a snowpack and have dipped to nighttime lows below zero. As of Monday morning, Williston, N.D., was 6 below zero.

Still, the rest of the week should be about average temperatures, with conditions anywhere from partly cloudy to mostly sunny — what Just calls “benign.”