It's looking more and more likely we are in for a very snowy Friday and Saturday in parts of Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. Possibly the biggest of the season
There is now a Winter Storm Watch in effect from Friday through Saturday.
* WHAT...For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills expected. Wind chills as low as 25 below zero. For the Winter Storm Watch, heavy snow possible. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.* WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Wisconsin and east central and southeast Minnesota.* WHEN...For the Wind Chill Advisory, from midnight tonight to 6 AM CST Thursday. For the Winter Storm Watch, from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon.* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. The cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The heaviest snow will fall during the second half of Friday, with blowing snow becoming more likely on Saturday as winds increase as the system departs.
WCCO's Paul Douglas is saying, "Models are printing out a long-duration snow event Friday into Saturday, with temperatures aloft cold enough for all-snow. It’s still early for inch-amounts, but let’s just say this could be (very) plowable – maybe a foot or more for much of Minnesota. Travel Saturday morning could be a gong show. If you can avoid travel Saturday, I think you'll thank yourself."
That heavy snow will be preceded, and followed, by a cold slap of weather too. We'll be waking up to -5 on Thursday in the metro with a high creeping into the single digits. Sunday's high will only be 6 above. Monday for MLK Day looks even chillier. '
This is a longer duration event, according to the National Weather Service, so snow could last well into Saturday. The winds should pick up as well, leading to plenty of blowing and drifting. It looks like from the far south metro, all the way through Northern Minnesota and Western Wisconsin is where the heaviest snow will fall.
Some parts near the North Shore of Lake Superior could see massive amounts of lake effect snow, adding to the totals north of Duluth.