Winter storm warning, then a bizzard warning, for NW MN
A strong low pressure system will bring heavy snow and strong winds to parts of northwestern Minnesota tonight through Tuesday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for much of northwestern Minnesota tonight and Tuesday morning, then that same area is under a blizzard warning from noon to 6 p.m. tomorrow:
Here are more details, from the Grand Forks, ND office of the NWS:
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URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
327 PM CST MON DEC 5 2016
MNZ001-004-007-008-013>015-070000-
/O.NEW.KFGF.BZ.W.0004.161206T1800Z-161207T0000Z/
/O.EXT.KFGF.WS.W.0005.161206T0000Z-161206T1800Z/
WEST POLK-KITTSON-WEST MARSHALL-EAST MARSHALL-PENNINGTON-RED LAKE-
EAST POLK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...
HALLOCK...KARLSTAD...LANCASTER...WARREN...STEPHEN...ARGYLE...
NEWFOLDEN...MIDDLE RIVER...GRYGLA...THIEF RIVER FALLS...
RED LAKE FALLS...FOSSTON...FERTILE...MCINTOSH...ERSKINE
327 PM CST MON DEC 5 2016
...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON CST TUESDAY...
...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND FORKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 6 PM CST TUESDAY.
* TIMING...EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP AROUND 6 PM AND THEN DIMINISH
AROUND 6 PM TUESDAY. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP ON TUESDAY
AFTERNOON.
* PRECIPITATION RATES...THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES WILL OCCUR
BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING AND 6AM TUESDAY.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...10 TO 14 INCHES.
* WINDS...WINDS WILL INCREASE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST 30 TO
40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.
* VISIBILITIES...BELOW A HALF MILE IN SNOW TONIGHT...BELOW A
QUARTER MILE IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ON TUESDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL
VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE
STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.
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.
An area east of the blizzard warning is under a winter storm warning through Tuesday.
From around Bemidji eastward, there is a winter weather advisory.
The Duluth office of the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory, in effect until 6 a.am Tuesday, for much of north-central and northeastern Minnesota:
Here are more details on that advisory, from the NWS:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
215 PM CST MON DEC 5 2016
...SNOW DEVELOPING THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...
.SNOW WILL RAPIDLY DEVELOP FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE
NORTHLAND THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE OF
SNOWFALL WILL BE LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING BEFORE
MIDNIGHT. THE MINNESOTA ARROWHEAD COULD SEE 3 TO 6 INCHES OF NEW
SNOW FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH MID MORNING TUESDAY...WITH LOCALLY
HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE ALONG THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ELSEWHERE
ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED
THIS EVENING INTO TUESDAY MORNING. RAIN WILL MIX WITH SNOW AT
TIMES ESPECIALLY ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR SHORELINE...RESULTING IN
LOWER AMOUNTS ON THE LAKESHORE. IN ADDITION TO THE FALLING
SNOW...STRENGTHENING WINDS LATE TONIGHT MAY RESULT IN AREAS OF
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. IF YOU WILL BE DRIVING ACROSS NORTHERN
MINNESOTA THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT...BE SURE TO ALLOW SOME EXTRA
TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION SAFELY.
MNZ010-011-018-019-026-060615-
/O.CON.KDLH.WW.Y.0020.161206T0000Z-161206T1200Z/
KOOCHICHING-NORTH ST. LOUIS-NORTH ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-
SOUTH ITASCA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...INTERNATIONAL FALLS...ELY...BIGFORK...
HIBBING...GRAND RAPIDS
215 PM CST MON DEC 5 2016
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS
EVENING TO 6 AM CST TUESDAY...
* LOCATIONS...NORTH CENTRAL TO NORTHEAST MINNESOTA INCLUDING
MUCH OF THE IRON RANGE TO THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER.
* TIMING...6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 AM TUESDAY.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...3 TO 6 INCHES.
* VISIBILITIES...AS LOW AS A HALF MILE AT TIMES TONIGHT.
* IMPACTS...A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW THIS EVENING INTO
TONIGHT WILL RESULT IN POOR VISIBILITY AND SNOW-PACKED ROADS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT ACCUMULATING SNOW
WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED
ROADS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION.
The Twin Cities could see some periods or rain mixed with snow tonight, then occasional light snow tomorrow.
It will be windy and colder all across Minnesota tomorrow.