A major winter storm
There are pretty snowfalls, there are nuisance snowfalls, and there are disruptive snowfalls. The incoming storm is going to provide a disruptive snowfall.
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Many schools have closed for the day. Travel conditions will deteriorate quickly after the moderate to heavy snow begins.
Early this morning the storm is heading out of the southern plains toward the Great Lakes. Winter storm warnings have been posted from Colorado to Michigan. Blizzard warnings are in effect from Kansas to southern Minnesota. Thundersnow is falling in Nebraska and western Iowa. Here is the big picture.
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Heavy snow will continue to advance northeastward from Iowa across southern Minnesota this morning. It can be tracked on radar from the Twin Cities National Weather Service.
Blizzard
By definition, blizzard conditions are sustained or frequently-gusting winds of at least 35 mph along with falling or blowing snow which reduce the visibility to less than a quarter of a mile. Add in the snow thrown up by vehicles, and visibilities along highways can easily go right down to zero.
Blizzard warnings are in effect through tonight for southwestern and south central Minnesota. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour at times along with winds gusting in excess of 40 mph will produce near-whiteout conditions in open areas, especially along the Interstate 90 corridor, today and into tonight.
Travel might become difficult or impossible by this afternoon. Total snowfalls by tomorrow morning are likely to range from 5 to 12 inches in southwestern Minnesota with a sharp cutoff on the northwest edge while south central Minnesota should get about 10 to 12 inches.
Snow measurement will be extremely difficult because of drifting.
Winter storm warnings
Winter storm warnings have been posted for today and tonight for east central and southeastern Minnesota as well as most of Wisconsin.
Southeastern Minnesota will get heavy snow today but not quite as much wind as the more-open terrain to the west in the blizzard warnings. Areas such as around Rochester and Winona are likely to pick up close to a foot of snow.
Metro area
The metro area and surrounding regions are also in a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Snow should reach the metro area by late morning. The heaviest snow will fall this afternoon. Several inches of wind-blown snow will fall by the evening commute, which will be a slow, unpleasant crawl toward home. Snowfall will taper off this evening and end overnight
Metro area snowfalls by tomorrow morning should range from around 5 inches in the northern suburbs to close to 10 inches in the far southern areas.
To break it down a bit further, I am forecasting 4 to 6 inches in Anoka County and other northern suburbs, 6 to 9 inches in the central metro, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, and 8 to 10 inches in Scott and Dakota Counties on the south side.
Winter weather advisory
Farther west and north, a winter weather advisory in in effect for just few inches in Minnesota cities such as Willmar, Montevideo, Hutchinson, Monticello and Princeton.
Snowfall will taper off and end tonight. Expect tomorrow to be breezy, cooler and at least partly sunny by afternoon. Maybe the snowdrifts will look pretty in the sunshine.