Winter storm watches and warnings for much of southern MN Tuesday
The latest computer model information shows snow is likely over much of central and southern Minnesota from Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night and early Wednesday.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale forecast model shows the potential snow pattern, caused by a low-pressure system passing to our south:
The heaviest snow is expected over far southern Minnesota, where the National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning that runs from Tuesday into Wednesday:
Scott and Dakota counties in the southern part of the Twin Cities metro area are in a winter storm watch from noon Tuesday through Wednesday afternoon due to the potential for 6 or more inches of snow.
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The northern part of the Twin Cities metro area may see only 2 or 3 inches of snow, with around 4 inches in Minneapolis and St. Paul and 5 or 6 inches in much of the south metro.
Rain could be mixed with the wet snow at times.
If the low-pressure system tracks a bit more to the north, the heavy snow area will shift north.
Here is the National Weather Service snow potential map and snow timeline for Minnesota:
And winter storm warning details for south-central Minnesota:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
259 PM CST MON JAN 23 2017
...WINTER STORM TO IMPACT SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA TUESDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING...
.A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR FAR SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. HEAVY SNOW OF 8-10
INCHES IS FORECAST FOR THIS AREA WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG
THE INTERSTATE 90 CORRIDOR. SNOW WILL BE HEAVIEST TUESDAY NIGHT
WHEN SNOWFALL RATES OF 0.75-1" PER HOUR ARE POSSIBLE. SNOWFALL
WILL TAPER OFF BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON BUT GUSTY NORTHWEST WINDS
WILL LEAD TO A THREAT FOR BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SNOW ON
ROADS AND LOW VISIBILITY FROM BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL MAKE
TRAVEL HAZARDOUS TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE CAUTION, AND TRAVEL ONLY
IF NECESSARY.
IN ADDITION, A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN TUESDAY
AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING. SNOWFALL OF 6-8" IS FORECAST
ACROSS THIS AREA BUT THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY IN EXACT AMOUNTS.
AN UPGRADE TO A WINTER STORM WARNING IS POSSIBLE AS FORECAST
CONFIDENCE INCREASES.
MNZ073-074-082>085-091>093-240500-
/O.UPG.KMPX.WS.A.0002.170124T1800Z-170125T2100Z/
/O.NEW.KMPX.WS.W.0001.170124T1800Z-170126T0000Z/
REDWOOD-BROWN-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-
FREEBORN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF REDWOOD FALLS, NEW ULM, ST JAMES,
MANKATO, WASECA, OWATONNA, FAIRMONT, BLUE EARTH, AND ALBERT LEA
259 PM CST MON JAN 23 2017
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 6 PM CST
WEDNESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW, WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM
NOON TUESDAY TO 6 PM CST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO
LONGER IN EFFECT.
* TIMING...TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
* MAIN IMPACT...ACCUMULATING SNOW FROM 8 TO 10 INCHES WILL MAKE
FOR DIFFICULT TRAVEL
* OTHER IMPACTS...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WITH LOW
VISIBILITIES POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF
SNOW ARE FORECAST THAT WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS. ONLY TRAVEL IN
AN EMERGENCY. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...
FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
If you have travel plans for Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, check forecast updates.
Updated weather information is posted on the MPR news live weather blog.
You can also check with the Twin Cities office, La Crosse, WI office and Sioux Falls, SD office of the National Weather Service for weather updates.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will have current road conditions.