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Quick burst of snow with a smack of blustery cold

Posted at 2:27 PM on December 31, 2011 by Craig Edwards

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for portions of eastern Minnesota into northwest Wisconsin from 9pm this evening to 6am Sunday. The Warning includes, Mankato, the Twin Cities and Hayward. See previous blog for warning area from the National Weather Service.

Late this afternoon radar was beginning to display the first signs of the developing weather system. Rain mixed with snow will continue to blossom over western Iowa and Minnesota late this afternoon and evening.

Here's a regional snapshot shortly after 2pm CST.

We expect temperatures to fall as the moisture expands after 8pm. Snow could accumulate several inches quickly from 9pm to midnight. Winds will shift to the northwest and increase to 20 to 30 mph. Expect blowing snow, icy roads and blustery winds overnight.

The RUC model paints this band of accumulated moisture between 8pm and midnight. This could translate to two to three inches in the Twin Cities.