Weekend Snow Forecast

An initial upper-level disturbance ("shortwave" in met-geek speak) will push east from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes Friday through early Saturday, spreading a stripe of light snow from South Dakota to Minnesota, parts of Wisconsin and Lower Michigan.

After that, we will turn our attention to a more significant storm system for the weekend.

A pronounced dip in the jet stream, or trough, will dig southward into the southern Rockies.

(MAP:  Sunday's jet stream pattern)

With cold air in place, lift in the atmosphere provided by disturbances ejecting from the trough will squeeze out snow in the central and southern Rockies, northern Plains and Upper Midwest laterSaturday through Sunday, including cities such as Denver, Colo., Duluth, Minn., Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. and Green Bay, Wis.

At this time, this system appears poised to produce the heaviest snowfall totals in the Upper Midwest. Snow amounts of 3 to 5 inches are not out of the question from the Dakotas to Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin. Heavier totals of more than 6 inches are possible to the north ofMinneapolis/St. Paul in central/northeastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.

Snow, possibly heavy at times, will likely arrive in the Twin Cities Saturday evening and continue through Sunday, so keep this in mind if you have travel plans.