Weekend Outlook: April fools joke or out like a lion?

Like so many winter storms this winter, much hype could turn into a less-than-impressive result.

However, if some of the world's strongest supercomputers that create weather forecasts worldwide are right, we could see historic snowfall early this weekend. Right now, science says the Sault area could see a foot of snow or more to start the weekend. What do I say?

Yet again, this incoming storm will move south of the Sault region, and we are riding the northern edge of the system. If this storm moves only 25-50km south, we will see only a few hours of intense snow early

Saturday. IF (a big if) the storm comes in exactly as the forecast models suggest, then we could be digging out from 20-30cm of snow - possibly up to 50cm in some locations. Of course, a 10-50cm snow forecast doesn't do anyone any good, so how do you navigate weather needs this weekend?

Follow the most recent forecast information throughout the day.

There will be a ton of weather warnings and hype from local media, but the trick will be to stay current with the latest information and prepare for a high-impact weather event. On SooToday's weather page, I will be doing frequent Forecast Discussion updates on Friday to help understand the evolving risks and conditions. On to the forecast - for now...

Friday will start with 2-4cm of new snow in the morning. Temperatures will climb to +4°C in the afternoon with patchy drizzle and gusty east winds. A risk of rain (and storms?) at midnight will be followed by heavy snow overnight.

A snowstorm will be in full force Saturday morning with strong northeast winds. The heavy snow begins before sunrise and will likely taper off by noon.

There is still some uncertainty in the amount of snow we will receive, but it appears that 15-20cm of widespread snow is likely. The heaviest snow bands could bring closer to 30cm; this risk exists everywhere from Goulais south to St. Joseph Island. Skies will quickly clear in the afternoon as the winds weaken, back to the north, and daytime highs reach -1°C.

Clouds build through the day on Sunday, with temperatures climbing just above freezing. Light snow is likely in the evening.