Prepare your shovels. Some “heart attack” snow is on the way.
Remember to lift with the knees as you curse Mother Nature Thursday, April 3.
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a Winter Storm Watch as a storm generating in the panhandle of Texas makes its way northeast this week, loaded with enough moisture to drop 6 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow on Eastern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
According to the NWS, precipitation should begin falling in the Wright County area Thursday, changing to snow Thursday afternoon.
But, as the popular movie states, “the heavy stuff won’t come down for a while.”
Friday, snow could fall at a pace of 1 inch to 2 inches per hour.
Here’s the weather statement:
WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
* TIMING… THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MID FRIDAY AFTERNOON. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN AS A LIGHT WINTRY MIX WEDNESDAY NIGHT… AND TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE TAPERING OFF FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
* SNOW ACCUMULATION… 6 TO 12 INCHES… WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS LIKELY ACROSS EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.
* WIND… NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH BECOMING NORTHWEST AND INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 MPH WITH SOME GUSTS TO 35 MPH.
* IMPACTS… TRAVEL WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. THIS WILL ALSO BE A WET SNOW WHICH WILL BE DIFFICULT TO SHOVEL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW… SLEET… OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.
More Information
… MAJOR WINTER STORM BECOMING LIKELY THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY…
.A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED EAST OF A LINE FROM CANBY TO MONTEVIDEO… PAYNESVILLE… AND LAKE MILLE LACS MINNESOTA FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON… INCLUDING THE TWIN CITIES METRO AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.
A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WITH COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE WILL TRACK FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS THURSDAY MORNING TO NORTHERN MISSOURI THURSDAY EVENING AND LAKE MICHIGAN EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON. A LARGE BATCH OF PRECIPITATION BEGINNING AS A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL TURN TO ALL SNOW THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING WITH 1 TO 2 INCH PER HOUR RATES POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED… WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS ACROSS EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.