Instant winter: wind, cold and snow

Welcome to instant winter.

I had to open the third drawer down in the Weather Lab desk this morning. That's where all the winter weather terminology is stored. Dust covered cobweb tangled words like cold, snow, and wind chill tumbled out. It may take me a while to get them dusted off and ready for use.

Northern snow

Yes, it's finally snowing in northern Minnesota.

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Winter weather advisories are flying for northern Minnesota through tonight. I could see a swath of 2 inches to as much as 6 inches across the Canadian border regions by Thursday morning.

1119 dlh

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INTERNATIONAL FALLS...ELY...ISABELLA...BIGFORK...HIBBING

352 AM CST THU NOV 19 2015

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT...

* LOCATIONS...NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 2...INCLUDING THE IRON RANGE CITIES...INTERNATIONAL FALLS...ELY...AND THE GUNFLINT TRAIL.

* TIMING...THROUGH MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 5 INCHES.

* SUSTAINED WINDS...WEST 15 TO 25 MPH.

* WIND GUSTS...UP TO 35 MPH.

* VISIBILITIES...A HALF MILE TO A MILE AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS...SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY ROADS CAN BE EXPECTED...PRODUCING WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

Wind advisories

Talk about things that go bump in the night. Gusty winds overnight reaches 43 mph in Blaine and 40 mph at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Gusts hit 44 in Redwood Falls, Minn.,  and 61 mph in Glenwood, Minn.

Wind advisories are up today from the metro south and west.

1119 wa
Twin Cities NWS

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LONG PRAIRIE...ST. CLOUD...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...HASTINGS...RED WING

250 AM CST THU NOV 19 2015

...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST THIS AFTERNOON.

* WINDS...WEST WINDS OF 30 TO 35 MPH...WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH.

* IMPACTS...DRIVING WILL BECOME DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.

Southern snow

Wind and cold are gifts for all today. Watch the next clipper sail through Iowa Friday.

1119 4allfcsts_loop_ndfd (1)
NOAA

This one will produce heavy snow totals in Iowa and clip the Interstate 90 corridor.

1119 msp4

If you are planning travel south in Iowa Friday be aware you will run into heavy snowfall.

I am still keeping an eye on a potential rain or snow storm heading into Minnesota Thanksgiving Day.

Stay tuned.