An important message from MNDot with the biggest snowstorm in years ready to hit the metro this weekend.
Get your stuff done before Saturday afternoon if at all possible and plan to - you know the phrase - hunker down.
"We're looking at hours and hours of snowfall as well, probably 24 hours of straight snowfall in some parts of the area," says MnDOT spokesperson Anne Meyer.
She says they're expecting 1-2 inches of snow an hour, which can be challenging for the plows to keep up with. But she says their drivers are ready and gearing up for a long weekend.
"We'll be staffing up into the weekend and and carrying that through with crews working 12-hour shifts, 24 hours a day, from now until roads are back into the clear," Meyer adds.
MnDOT also says it's helpful that most of the snow is expected overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, when there are fewer drivers on the roads, and allowing them to focus on getting them cleared.
As for timing, Meyer says do it during the day Saturday.
"Gosh, if you can get out and get what you need to get done before Saturday afternoon, that will do you a huge amount of good," she adds.
Much of Minnesota is under a Winter Storm Warning. The National Weather Service says snowfall amounts of 10-16 inches are likely, with possibly more where the heaviest band of snow sets up. A narrow swath of 15 to 20 inches are possible, and totals across portions of western and central Wisconsin could approach 2-feet.
Compounding the issue of heavy snow, is heavy winds. By early Sunday and even into Monday, winds could gust up to 50 mph in spots.
"We're looking at hours and hours of snowfall," says MnDOT's Anne Meyer
