As residents shake off the Winter Break “blahs” and get set to head back to work, school or “reality,” yet another Winter Storm looks like it’s bearing down on the St. Michael-Albertville, Otsego, Monticello area.
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a Winter Storm Warning for a system expected to arrive Tuesday afternoon and linger into late Wednesday, dropping everything from sleet to snow, ice to layers of precip throughout its daylong visit to Wright County.
The impending storm will push school administrators and businesses to look closely at schedules again, after just canceling school due to a winter storm that hit the area Thursday, Dec. 22. That system canceled school for multiple districts, including STMA Schools, for the day, while ISD 728 used a “Digital Learning Day” to keep students and staff at home prior to the Winter Break.
Here’s the details for the first Winter Storm of 2023.
Pope-Stearns-Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Swift-Kandiyohi- Meeker-Wright-Anoka-Polk-Barron-St. Croix- Including the cities of Glenwood, St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Cambridge, Center City, Benson, Willmar, Litchfield, Monticello, Blaine, Osceola, Rice Lake, and Hudson 328 PM CST Mon Jan 2 2023 ...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TUESDAY TO 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 11 inches and ice accumulations of a light glaze. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central and west central Minnesota and northwest and west central Wisconsin. * WHEN...From 6 AM Tuesday to 6 PM CST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions will impact the Tuesday commutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
A complex and potent winter storm will cause travel impacts starting this evening, lasting through Wednesday. The worst conditions will be Tuesday morning and early afternoon. This evening, a wintry mix of rain, sleet, and ice will develop across southern Minnesota. Some locations may see over a quarter of an inch of ice, and an Ice Storm Warning is in effect. Later tonight into early Tuesday morning, heavy snow will move into southwest Minnesota, and spread across central Minnesota and western Wisconsin Tuesday morning into early Tuesday afternoon. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are likely for a few hours, which will cause significant travel impacts as visibility drops to a quarter mile at times due to the heavy snow. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for this heavy snow, with generally over 8 inches of snow expected with over a foot possible over portions of west central and southwest Minnesota. Elsewhere, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for areas that will see a wintry mix, and less snow. Please adjust your travel plans for Tuesday if possible.
The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Road conditions can also be found at 511mn.org for Minnesota or 511wi.gov for Wisconsin.