Winter Storm Update: Heavy snow moving into southwest Minnesota

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Twin Cities NWS "Weather Story" highlights winter storm elements.

All systems appear to be a go for the season's first major winter storm.

A powerful low pressure system is winding up in the Oklahoma Panhandle today and will move rapidly northeast to near Chicago by early Wednesday. The surface low will rapidly deepen, with central pressure forecast to fall more than 24 millibars in 24 hours. We call these rapidly deepening storms "bomb cyclogenesis" in meteorology. Basically it means the storm will be strong enough to produce heavy snow and high winds as it moves through.

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Snow is spreading northward ahead of the storm today. After a few morning snow showers, steadier heavier snow should develop and increase in the Twin Cities during the afternoon. The snow should be going pretty good during the PM rush hour in the metro.

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NOAA SREF model ensembles paint heaviest snow bands (9"+) in Iowa and Wisconsin.

The storm should reach peak intensity overnight and into early Wednesday morning. Snow could be heavy at times overnight, with snowfall rates of up to an inch per hour. If those heavy snow bands are able to work far enough north into the metro, the Twin Cities could see snow totals over 6 inches. Snowfall totals of 5" to 9" are possible in the metro by late Wednesday.

Update 10:30am: Heavy snow in eastern Nebraska. Visibilities down to 1/2 to 1/4 mile. Heavy snow bands will move into southwest Minnesota this afternoon, right on schedule.

The heaviest bands of snow still appear to be aimed at much of Iowa, southeast Minnesota and Wisconsin. 6" to 12" could fall in a wide band from Des Moines through La Crosse, Madison, Eau Claire and Green Bay. In Minnesota, Albert Lea, Rochester and Winona could end up in the heavy snow band.

Winds will pick up dramatically overnight into early Wednesday. The light fluffy snow will be perfect for blowing and drifting. Travel outside the metro will become treacherous late tonight and Wednesday.

Here are some resources to track the storm. Stay tuned!

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-NOAA Winter weather warnings page-Twin Cities winter storm page

-Latest hourly weather reports

-Twin Cities radar loop

-Des Moines radar loop

-Sioux Falls radar loop

-La Crosse radar loop

-Morning weather briefing from the Omaha NWS