Blizzard to near blizzard conditions expected

Posted at 6:10 AM on February 20, 2011 by Craig Edwards (3 Comments)
Filed under: Blizzard, Winter storms

The Winter Storm Warnings are posted for southern and central Minnesota and bordering areas. Snow along with sleet and some freezing rain will advance from South Dakota and northern Iowa into Minnesota this morning. Travel conditions will deteriorate throughout the middle to late morning. Visibility in blowing snow will be reduced to several hundred feet at times this afterooon. If you must travel complete your travel as soon as possible.

Here is the latest outlook from the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center of the NWS. This encompasses a lot of territory where more than a foot of snow is expected to accumulate. Paul posted the snowfall potentials derived by model data. Some places may tally more than twenty inches by daybreak on Monday.

To the south of this highlighted area a mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected. Here's a recent graphic indicating the danger of ice today.

The heaviest accumulation of snow will take place from about noon today to 2AM tonight. Winds of 30 mph will blow and drift snow, particularly in rurual areas.

I have suggested to individuals that they complete travel by noon today if you are moving about the region south of Grand Forks, North Dakota to Hayward, Wisconsin.
CE

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Comments (3)

So I looks like it might track a bit south? What totals are yoiu expecting for the metro??

Posted by chad | February 20, 2011 7:20 AM

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That map is of the freezing rain potential...we're still getting hit with the bull's eye of the white stuff!

Posted by Pat | February 20, 2011 7:36 AM

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Storm is on track. We'll watch for pressure falls through Iowa this morning. Thanks for the report of heavy snow where the freezing rain was indicated as a possibility. There is a very bright band on radar which usually indicates ice/sleet over southwest Minnesota.

Snowfall totals of 10 to 20 inches from Montevideo to the Twin Cities.
CE

Posted by craig | February 20, 2011 7:53 AM

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