The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) are both gearing up for a round of wintry weather that will snarl traffic on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
According to weather forecasts via the National Weather Service, about 2 to 4 inches of snow is predicted to land on the area overnight Wednesday, as many take off for the Thanksgiving holiday and the extended weekend. Rain was falling in the Wright County area most of Tuesday, Nov. 22, but that’s expected to change late Tuesday night into the morning Wednesday.
MnDOT was busy Tuesday pre-treating highways and interstates with chemicals to help roads from freezing over as temps dropped Tuesday night. The rain was already freezing and flakes were visible by 5 p.m. Tuesday night.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in place until Wednesday morning.
Thankfully, most of the weather should be cleared out by Wednesday night, and temps will remain near the freezing (32 degree) mark.
Here’s the rundown from the National Weather Service:
Winter Weather Advisory
TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEARNS-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI- CHISAGO-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON- MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONG PRAIRIE...LITTLE FALLS... PRINCETON...MORA...ST CLOUD...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...CAMBRIDGE... CENTER CITY...WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS... BLAINE...ST PAUL...STILLWATER...HUTCHINSON...GAYLORD...CHASKA... SHAKOPEE...HASTINGS...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING 328 PM CST TUE NOV 22 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST WEDNESDAY... * MORE PRECIPITATION...MAINLY SNOW...WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN DIMINISH AROUND 6 AM WEDNESDAY. * THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING AND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. * TOTAL WET SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH A GLAZE OF ICE ALSO POSSIBLE. * PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE ALONG AND NORTH OF I-94. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA THURSDAY EVENING AND NIGHT. ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH OR TWO IS POSSIBLE. ANOTHER MIXED PRECIPITATION STORM SYSTEM COULD AFFECT TRAVEL SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. AT THIS POINT WESTERN MN COULD SEE SNOW...WHILE MOST OTHER LOCATIONS SEE MAINLY RAIN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...