Windy afternoon with snow showers; blizzard and winter storm warnings northern MN
Strong winds will continue all across Minnesota this afternoon.
High wind warnings are in effect until 3 p.m. for southwestern and west-central Minnesota, due to winds of 30 to 45 mph and possible gusts to 60 mph:
After 3 p.m., the high wind warning becomes a wind advisory, which will continue until 6 p.m. today.
Most of southern and central Minnesota , including the Twin Cities, plus western Wisconsin have a wind advisory until 3 p.m. for 30 to 40 mph winds and possible gusts to 55 mph.
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A blizzard warning for whiteout conditions has been extended to 7 p.m. for Kittson, Marshall, Polk, Norman and Clay counties of far northwestern Minnesota:
Here are more details of the blizzard warning, from the NWS:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1159 AM CST MON DEC 26 2016
MNZ001>003-NDZ030-039-049-052-270100-
/O.CON.KFGF.BZ.W.0006.000000T0000Z-161227T0100Z/
WEST POLK-NORMAN-CLAY-TRAILL-CASS-RANSOM-SARGENT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...ADA...
TWIN VALLEY...HALSTAD...MOORHEAD...MAYVILLE...HILLSBORO...
HATTON...PORTLAND...FARGO...LISBON...ENDERLIN...GWINNER...
MILNOR...FORMAN...RUTLAND
1159 AM CST MON DEC 26 2016
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS
EVENING...
* TIMING...EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE...DIMINISHING
AROUND 7 PM.
* WINDS / VISIBILITIES...WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 50 MPH WILL
CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. CONDITIONS WILL BE
MUCH WORSE IN OPEN COUNTRY COMPARED TO SHELTERED AREAS.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1
INCH ARE EXPECTED.
* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO
IMPOSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF
YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET
STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR
THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.
The remainder of northwestern Minnesota has a winter weather advisory until 7 p.m.:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
1159 AM CST MON DEC 26 2016
MNZ016-017-270100-
/O.EXP.KFGF.WS.W.0006.000000T0000Z-161226T1800Z/
/O.EXB.KFGF.WW.Y.0015.161226T1800Z-161227T0100Z/
NORTH CLEARWATER-SOUTH BELTRAMI-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BAGLEY...CLEARBROOK...BEMIDJI
1159 AM CST MON DEC 26 2016
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS
EVENING...
...WINTER STORM WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT NOON CST TODAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 7 PM CST THIS EVENING.
* TIMING...LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DIMINISH BY LATE
AFTERNOON.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 1
INCH ARE EXPECTED.
* WINDS / VISIBILITIES...LOOK FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES TO A HALF
MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.
* IMPACTS...PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS PERIODS OF SNOW WILL
CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED
ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN
BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.
Winter storm warnings continue until 6 p.m. for much of north-central and northeastern Minnesota:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
930 AM CST MON DEC 26 2016
...WINTER STORM WINDING DOWN TODAY ACROSS THE NORTHLAND...
.THE MAJOR WINTER STORM THAT HAS PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE...SLEET AND SNOW ACROSS THE NORTHLAND WILL
SLOWLY LOSE ITS GRIP ON THE REGION TODAY. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL
IMPACTS FROM LIGHT WINTRY MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL PERSIST THROUGH
EARLY THIS EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE TO ALL SNOW TODAY
WITH AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO OF ACCUMULATION LIKELY. THE LIGHT
SNOW COMBINED WITH STRONG AND GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS UP TO
40 MPH WILL RESULT IN VISIBILITY LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES. IN
ADDITION...MANY AREAS WILL BEGIN TO RECOVER FROM THE ICE AND SLEET
ACCUMULATIONS FROM CHRISTMAS EVENING...BUT MOST ROADS WILL REMAIN
SNOW AND ICE COVERED. AREAS WHICH HAVE SEEN ABOVE FREEZING
TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING MAY SEE WET ROADS RAPIDLY
RE-FREEZE AS TEMPERATURES FALL INTO THE LOW TEENS TO LOW 20S BY 6
PM. HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO
TONIGHT.
BOTH THE MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION
REPORTED ROADS WERE COMPLETELY OR PARTIALLY COVERED WITH SNOW AND
ICE EARLY THIS MORNING...WITH HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN MOST
AREAS. AS SOUTHWEST WINDS INCREASE TODAY...TREES AND POWER LINES
THAT ALREADY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ICE ON THEM COULD
FAIL...RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL POWER OUTAGES AND POSSIBLE BLOCKED
ROADS. TRAVEL CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY NOT IMPROVE APPRECIABLY IN
MANY AREAS UNTIL SOMETIME ON TUESDAY.
MNZ018-019-026-035-037-270000-
/O.COR.KDLH.WS.W.0007.000000T0000Z-161227T0000Z/
NORTH ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTH ITASCA-NORTHERN AITKIN-
CARLTON/SOUTH ST. LOUIS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BIGFORK...HIBBING...GRAND RAPIDS...
HILL CITY...DULUTH
930 AM CST MON DEC 26 2016
...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS
EVENING...
* LOCATIONS...BIGFORK...THE IRON RANGE CITIES...COTTON...AND
DULUTH.
* TIMING...THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING.
* SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 7
INCHES...HIGHEST IN THE IRON RANGE TO BIGFORK.
* SUSTAINED WINDS...SOUTHWEST TURNING WEST 15 TO 30 MPH.
* WIND GUSTS...UP TO 40 MPH...STRONGEST NEAR LAKE SUPERIOR.
* IMPACTS...SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN
VERY HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. STRONG WINDS AND LIGHT SNOW
WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES. THE
WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND ICE ON TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES COULD
PRODUCE NUMEROUS OUTAGES AND BLOCK SOME ROADWAYS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND WINTRY MIXED
PRECIPITATION MEANS HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW...SLEET AND
FREEZING RAIN ARE EXPECTED. EXPECT EXTREMELY SLIPPERY AND
DANGEROUS SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...
EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR
DESTINATION. HAVE A WORKING CELL PHONE IN CASE YOU BECOME
STRANDED. KEEP A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE...INCLUDING A
FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER. PREPARE NOW FOR POTENTIAL POWER
OUTAGES THAT COULD LAST FOR LONGER THAN A FEW HOURS.
Winter storm links
Clickable maps, with forecast updates for your area, are available from the following National Weather Service forecast offices:
You can see updated winter storm information on our severe weather live blog.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has current road conditions.