Updraft: January 27, 2013 Archive

Hazardous travel southeast Minnesota and Wisconsin today due to wintry mix

Posted at 7:52 AM on January 27, 2013 by Craig Edwards
Filed under: Winter storms

As cautioned on Friday afternoon, a combination of freezing rain/sleet and snow will encroach on the Twin Cities today. Precipitation was already showing up on radar and is expected to steadily expand and move north this morning.

Winter Weather Advisory is shown in blue. Winter Storm Warning is displayed in pink. The heaviest accumulation of ice is expected between the south suburbs of the Twin Cities to Rochester and LaCrosse. Travel is likely to be hazardous once the precipitation begins.

It will only take a thin layer of ice to make roads slick. Travel with caution as road conditions can change quickly.

The Winter Storm Warning and Advisory will extend into the evening hours.

From the National Weather Service in Chanhassen at 345 a.m. CST

THE FREEZING RAIN WILL LIKELY MIX WITH OR CHANGE TO SNOW
DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON HOURS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN...MOST OF THE TWIN CITIES...AS WELL AS AREAS TO THE
SOUTH OF THE TWIN CITIES...INCLUDING NEW ULM... FARIBAULT AND RED
WING. ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A TENTH OF AN INCH APPEAR QUITE LIKELY WITH UP TO A QUARTER INCH OF ICE FROM ALBERT LEA TO RED WING.

Water Vapor satellite image from 730 a.m. CST shows cloud tops cooling and moisture laden over southern Minnesota. Image: NOAA

Forecast high temperatures for today may edge just above the thawing point in some locations.

Radar screen capture at 755 a.m. CST. Source:NOAA/Weather underground

NAM forecast precipitation from noon to 6 p.m. CST. Up to a half inch of water content precipitation can be expected with this system.

NAM valid at 6 p.m. CST. Source:NOAA/College of Dupage.

Temperatures will moderate a few more degrees on Monday, with highs in the middle 30s. This should melt much of Sunday's wintry mix on the roads.

Craig Edwards

Icy mixture dominated by snow over the Twin Cities this afternoon

Posted at 2:16 PM on January 27, 2013 by Craig Edwards (1 Comments)
Filed under: Winter, Winter 2012-13, Winter storms

Shortly after 2 p.m. CST large snowflakes were accumulating across the Twin Cities metro area. Radar indicated this band of snow will advance slowly from southwest to northeast during the afternoon. Snow could accumulate 2 to 3 inches by dark.

Radar screen capture at 205 p.m. CST. Source:NOAA/Weather underground

Snow was mixed with freezing rain and sleet to the south of the Twin Cities. Precipitation is likely to reach up to St. Cloud and Hayward, Wis., by 3 p.m. CST.

The National Weather Service has expanded the Winter Weather Advisory to include counties north of the metro and into parts of northwest Wisconsin for this afternoon and evening.

National Weather Service expanded Winter Weather Advisory in blue with a Winter Storm Warning continuing through this evening in the pink shaded area.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain will make travel extremely hazardous. Travel with caution. The precipitation will taper from west to east later this afternoon and evening.

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