UPDATED: Winter Storm Forecast Downgraded; 2-5 Inches Expected

The National Weather Service downgraded its winter storm warning to an advisory early Thursday morning for much of the Twin Cities, with new forecast models now showing that the heaviest snow should fall west of the metro.

Forecasters are now calling for 2-5 inches of snow in the southern and eastern portions of the metro area. A greater amount, as much as 8 inches, is expected to fall in a band from Redwood Falls to Clearwater and Mora.

Much of the snow is expected on Thursday evening, with rain and sleet preceding the snowfall.

The state just recovered from another heavy winter storm, which bombarded the state with rain, snow and sleet from April 9 to April 12.

According to the state climatology office, this month has been exceptionally wet. April 2013 has been graced by a stretch of ten consecutive days of measurable precipitation (April 5th to April 14), a feat only equaled or bested by two other occasions in Minnesota weather history since 1871: May 30 to June 9, 1883 and June 18 to June 27, 1951. 

However, heavy snow is not unusual in April, even at this late date, though historically most snows have occurred during the first half of the month.