A large, slow-moving winter storm system expected to impact the Upper Midwest this coming week could bring a harsh reminder that spring doesn't officially begin until March 20.
The system remains several days out, so the timing, placement, and exact snow amounts remain uncertain.
The National Weather Service Twin Cities says the Twin Cities will most likely see travel impacts between a 48 and 72 hour period.
"The track of a system such as this is very important as it gives you kind of idea where the heaviest snow totals are going to set-up over a large area," said NWS Twin Cities meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein. "That's not even taking into account any sort of banding that appears the day of."
Hasenstein told WCCO Radio News on Saturday morning that the storm system has a strong signal for a "pretty large area" to have a decent amount of snow.
"Given that we haven't had a storm in a while, this is especially significant because we've kind of been spoiled a little bit," Hasenstein said.
The storm system is expected to have an impact starting Tuesday, with heavy travel implications Wednesday night and Thursday. Due to it possibly being a drawn out storm system over the span of a few days, the impacts may be less severe.
"The especially concerning part would be any sort of wind that we get along with fresh snow causing a little bit of blowing snow, maybe some blizzard conditions especially out in western to northwestern Minnesota where they're a little bit more susceptible."