UPDATE (10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 28): The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has now issued a Winter Storm Warning for Wright County and most of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
A half foot to 10 inches of snow is forecast to fall on the Twin Cities, with more amounts falling to the south and east. Wright County should be prepared for 6 to 8 inches of new snow, accompanied by 25 to 30 mph winds overnight Monday and into Tuesday, making travel very dangerous Monday night.
High snowfall rates will also make driving conditions difficult Monday night, as snow bands racing through the area could drop 1 to 3 inches of snow per hour Monday.
Here’s the warning:
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY.
* EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP AROUND 3 PM AND THEN DIMINISH AROUND 6 PM TUESDAY.
* THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING AND MIDNIGHT TUESDAY.
* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.
* WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 30 MPH WILL CAUSE PATCHY BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
* PLAN ON DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL… KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT… FOOD… AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.
… HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY…
.A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND PARTS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA… GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS… TO BUFFALO AND TAYLORS FALLS. THIS WARNING INCLUDES ALL OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA ALONG WITH THE MANKATO AND EAU CLAIRE AREAS. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT NORTH OF THE WARNING AND EXTENDS TO NEAR A LINE FROM MORRIS… TO ST. CLOUD AND MORA.
TWO ROUNDS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE FIRST WILL IMPACT THE REGION BETWEEN 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON AND DIMINISH AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. A SECOND AREA OF SNOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT OVER SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND PUSH ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA TOWARD NORTHWEST WISCONSIN DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 9 TO 11 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FROM SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA OVER TOWARD EAU CLAIRE… 6 TO 8 INCHES IS FORECAST FROM REDWOOD FALLS ACROSS THE TWIN CITIES METRO OVER TO LADYSMITH… WHILE LOCATIONS IN THE ADVISORY CAN EXPECT 2 TO 5 INCHES.
*****
Original story: It turns out the “day after Christmas” snowfall was just a taste of what is to come, as more snow is on the way for Wright County this week.
The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Wright County and the Twin Cities metro, as the largest snowfall of this winter season is set to make its entrance into the area Monday, Dec. 28 and continue through Monday night into Tuesday, Dec. 29.
All told, nearly 10 inches to a foot of new snow could be arriving in the southern Twin Cities area when the storm wraps up Tuesday. The North Wright County Today area could see anywhere from 5 inches to 10 inches of new snow.
It’s a delight to business owners who rely on snowfall. Snow removal services have been “only called into action twice,” according to one owner. Hardware stores who rely on shovel, salt and even snowblower sales have seen a lag, of course, compared to the last two years.
“Still not as bad as about three or four years ago,” one shop owner commented.
The snow is expected to arrive around 2:30 p.m. in the Wright County area, and could make the evening commute a mess for drivers who are working this holiday week. Heaviest snow bands are expected right as the storm hits and again in the early evening, so visibility levels will be impacted, according to the NWS. Those flying should also keep an eye on the MSP International Airport website and Twitter feeds for any delay announcements.
Here’s the Winter Storm Watch announcement from the NWS, issued Sunday evening:
A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
* SNOW IS EXPECTED FROM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE.
* SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY ARE POSSIBLE.
* THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS.
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
… HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY…
.A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN… GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM FAIRMONT THROUGH FARIBAULT AND RED WING TO CHIPPEWA FALLS. A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF THE WARNING… EXTENDING TO NEAR A LINE FROM MONTEVIDEO TO LITTLE FALLS. THE WINTER STORM WATCH INCLUDES THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA. SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE AREA FROM SOUTH TO NORTH MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING… AND PERSIST INTO THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED MONDAY EVENING. STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA… WITH AMOUNTS OF 6 TO 11 INCHES IN THE WARNING AREA. HOWEVER… THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE EXACT TRACK OF THE SYSTEM… AND FURTHER ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST WILL LIKELY OCCUR.