>> CATHY: WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS YEAR'S WIMPY WINTER WEATHER A LOT.

SO, WE FIGURED IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO TALK ABOUT THE SNOW THAT FELL OVERNIGHT THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY.

AND THE MUCH BIGGER STORM SYSTEM HEADING OUR WAY THIS WEEKEND THAT COULD HAVE US ALL DIGGING OUT THE SNOWBLOWERS.

PETE BOULAY IS A U OF M CLIMATOLOGIST WHO TOILS AWAY FOR THE STATE OFFICE OF CLIMATOLOGY.

AS YOU SAID OFF-AIR HERE, YOU'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS STORM.

>> YEAH, IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME WITHOUT A STORM.

IT'S BEEN 33 DAYS SINCE WE HAD ANY THING TO HAPPEN.

>> Cathy: LIKE THE MAYTAKING REPAIR MANY.

>> PRETTY MUCH.

>> Cathy: A SWATH OF 12 TO 15 FROM WESTERN MINNESOTA THROUGH St.

CLOUD UP TO DULUTH?

>> IT'S FUNNY YOU COULD HAVE A MODEL THAT SAYS 16 IS TO 11 INCHES AND THE ONLY THING PEOPLE HERE IS 31, RIGHT?

SO THE WIDE RANGE IN WHAT COULD HAPPEN, TWIN CITIES 6 TO 1 IS PRETTY LIKELY RIGHT -- TO 12 IS PRETTY LIKELY RIGHT NOW, GOING INTO MONDAY AND MAYBE TUESDAY, BUT NORTHWEST OF THAT, BEST SHOT, BASICALLY FROM SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA RIGHT THROUGH DULUTH IS RIGHT NOW THE BEST HANCE FOR THE MOST SNOW.

>> Eric: CAN YOU BE PRECISE ON THE RAIN-SNOW BOUNDARY?

>> IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE WE'RE IN A TRANSITION SEASON, IT'S LATE MARCH.

THE SUN IS AS STRONG AS IT IS IN SEPTEMBER SO IT'S GOING TO BE VERY CLOSE, LIKE OCHESTER MIGHT EE MORE RAIN.

WE MIGHT EVEN SEE MORE RAIN HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES SO A MOVEMENT OF 50, 100 MILES IN THAT STORM TRACK WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.

>> Cathy: SO AT LEAST WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME SNOW ON SUNDAY -- STARTING TOMORROW NIGHT, SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY, ALL DAY SUNDAY AND INTO SUNDAY NIGHT?

>> YEP, SO ANY TIME AFTER MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY IS WHEN THE SNOW WILL PROBABLY START.

THE BIG KEY ASK WHEN DOES MOST OF THAT SNOWFALL.

WE'LL HAVE SOME HEAVY SNOW TO START OUT WITH, AT FIRST, IT WILL BE COLD ENOUGH TO SNOW, THE NIGHT HELPS BUILT WHEN THE DAY TIME COMES, THE SUN IS VERY STRONG, MIGHT GO HROUGH THE CLOUDS AND MELT IT AS IT FALLS SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHERE WE WIND UP BUT WE'RE THANKFUL TO HAVE ANY MOISTURE.

WHEN O.WE'RE IN A MODERATE DROUGHTS ACROSS A GOOD CHUNK OF MINNESOTA SO WE'LL TAKE IT.

>> Eric: A MINNESOTA WEATHER LEGENDS HAS OCCURRED AGAIN, STATE TOURNAMENT BLIZZARD.

>> YES.

>> Eric: WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME WE HAD ONE?

>> 2011, A LOW BAR.

4 INCHES OF SNOW IN A STORM.

>> Eric: YOU CAN'T CALL THIS A BLIZZARD, CAN YOU?

>> WE HAD 2.9 INCHES OFFICIALLY AT THE AIRPORT, NOT ENOUGH FOR A BLIZZARD -- WELL, TOURNAMENT SNOWSTORM, AND THEN THIS SNOWSTORM WILL FALL AFTER THE TOURNAMENT IS OVER SO IT WON'T COUNT.

SO -- >> Cathy: HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO BLIZ ADS CONDITIONS IN THIS SECOND ROUND OF SNOW HERE FOR SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY AND MONDAY, HAVEN'T WE STALKING ABOUT WIND GUSTS AROUND 40, 45 MILES AN HOUR?

>> YES, STIFF EAST WINDS SO ONCE YOU GET OUTSIDE THE TWIN CITIES, BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL BE A PROBLEM.

IT WILL BE HEAVY SO THAT WILL MAYBE CUT IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT BUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSTATE MINNESOTA ESPECIALLY, NORTH SHORE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT WHERE YOU CAN GET ANY KIND OF WIND FETCH GOING ON, IT WILL BE NOTICEABLE AND PROBABLY A PROBLEM.

>> Eric: DROUGHT OVER?

>> NO, UNFORTUNATELY IT WILL TAKE A LOT AND WE'RE ALOOKING IT-THE MODELS ARE BACKING OFF, THEY'RE SAYING TWO TO THREE INCHES, NOW MAYBE ONE TO TWO INCHES OF LIQUIDS.

NORMAL MARCH PRECIP IS 1.6 INCHES OR SO SO A MONTH'S WORTH OF MARCH, PRECIPITATION, SO BASICALLY, IT WILL STOP THE SLIDE, MAYBE IMPROVE IMPROVE IT A BIT BUT IT WILL TAKE A WHILE FOR THE DRAWAL TO GO AWAY.

>> Cathy: WHY ARE THEY BACKING OFFER THE AMOUNT, IS IT BECAUSE OF THE DRY WIND?

>> THE DRY WEDGE, WE TALK ABOUT THE DRY WEDGE THAT WILL COME UP AND SHUT OFF THE PRECIPITATION, THAT WILL CUT DOWN AMOUNTS IN THE TWIN CITIES.

SO THAT'S NOW BEING IN -- INCORPORATED IN THE MODELS A BUILT, SO THERE MIGHT BE A BREAK IN THE STORM FOR A FEW HOURS AS THAT RY WEDGE MOVES INTO THAT AREA.

VERY TYPICAL THESE BIG SOUTHWEST STORMS TO HAVE A DRY SPOT MOVE IN.

>> Eric: