Light snow today; freezing rain and snow for MN on Christmas

We could use a bit of snow to brighten up the landscape.

The snow that's piled up along our streets and roads is off-white or gray, due to our recent warm weather.

Central and southern Minnesota will see periods of snow today, with the heaviest amounts to the southeast:

rt1223snow
NWS Twin Cities

Some rain could be mixed with the snow at times this morning.

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The Twin Cities metro area could see 1 to 2 inches of snow, with the higher amounts in the southeast.

There's a winter weather advisory until 9 p.m. today for south-central and southeastern Minnesota,  and western Wisconsin, where 2 to 4 inches of snow are possible today:

rt1223adv2
NWS La Crosse, WI

Closer to the Twin Cities, in Rice and Goodhue counties, the winter weather advisory ends at 6 p.m. today.

Here are details of the winter weather advisory, from the NWS:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

322 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2016

...ACCUMULATING SNOW EXPECTED FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN

MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN TODAY...

...SIGNIFICANT ICING POSSIBLE SUNDAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL

MINNESOTA...

.SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED TODAY FROM

SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. AREAS

AFFECTED WILL BE MAINLY THE COUNTIES DUE SOUTH OF THE TWIN CITIES

METRO ALONG THE INTERSTATE 35 AND I90 CORRIDOR IN MINNESOTA...AND

EASTWARD ALONG THE INTERSTATE 94 CORRIDOR IN WISCONSIN. THESE

SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS COULD MAKE FOR HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS

LEADING UP TO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND.

A POWERFUL WINTER STORM WILL TRACK ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS INTO

NORTHERN MINNESOTA BY SUNDAY NIGHT. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE

DEVELOPING SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BECOME STEADIER FREEZING RAIN SUNDAY

MORNING WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS OF A QUARTER INCH POSSIBLE BY LATE

AFTERNOON. PRECIPITATION SHOULD BECOME ALL RAIN BY LATE SUNDAY

AFTERNOON...BUT THERE REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHEN EXACTLY

THAT WILL HAPPEN.

MNZ077-078-085-093-231730-

/O.EXT.KMPX.WW.Y.0017.161223T1200Z-161224T0000Z/

RICE-GOODHUE-STEELE-FREEBORN-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FARIBAULT...RED WING...OWATONNA...

ALBERT LEA

322 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CST THIS

EVENING...

* EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP AROUND 6 AM THIS MORNING AND THEN

DIMINISH AROUND 6 PM THIS EVENING.

* THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL RATES WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 9 AM AND 4 PM

FRIDAY.

* TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.

* LOOK FOR REDUCED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES.

* PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS...INCLUDING DURING THE EVENING

COMMUTE.

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.

NOAA’s Global Forecast System model shows today's snow pattern:

rt1223fcstsfc
NOAA GFS model from noon to midnight today, via tropicaltidbits

Christmas storm

Travel weather looks good for Minnesota tomorrow, but travel conditions will deteriorate on Christmas.

NOAA’s Global Forecast System model shows the strong low pressure system moving from Nebraska through northwestern Minnesota from Christmas morning through Christmas Day and Christmas night:

rt1223fcstsfc1
NOAA GFS model from 6 a.m. Chistmas to 6 a.m. Monday, via tropicaltidbits

The storm will create travel problems due to freezing rain, sleet, snow and high winds.

Here's a summary, courtesy of the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service:

rt1223adv
NWS Twin Cities

In the Twin Cities, there is a good chance of some freezing rain from Christmas morning into the early afternoon, then strong winds and rain into the overnight hours.  A thunderstorm is also possible, mainly Christmas afternoon and evening.

Periods of light snow and strong winds are likely in the metro area on Monday.

Winter storm watches have been issued for Christmas Day into Monday for much of central and northern Minnesota. A combination of freezing rain, sleet, heavy snow and high winds is possible over much of northern and central Minnesota. Winds could gust over 50 mph in far northwestern Minnesota, where a blizzard watch is in effect from noon Christmas Day to noon Monday:

rt1223gfkadv2
NWS Grand Forks, ND

More than 8 inches of snow could accumulate over northwestern Minnesota, and strong winds could cause whiteout conditions at times.

Here's a summary, from the Grand Forks office of the National Weather Service:

rt1223gfkstory
NWS Grand Forks, ND

And some details of the blizzard watch:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND

332 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2016

MNZ001-004-007-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-054-250945-

/O.CON.KFGF.BZ.A.0003.161225T1800Z-161226T1800Z/

WEST POLK-KITTSON-WEST MARSHALL-TOWNER-CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON-

RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-

TRAILL-BARNES-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...

HALLOCK...KARLSTAD...LANCASTER...WARREN...STEPHEN...ARGYLE...

CANDO...LANGDON...CAVALIER...WALHALLA...DRAYTON...PEMBINA...

NECHE...ST. THOMAS...FORT TOTTEN...MADDOCK...LEEDS...

MINNEWAUKAN...DEVILS LAKE...GRAFTON...PARK RIVER...NEW ROCKFORD...

LAKOTA...MCVILLE...ANETA...TOLNA...GRAND FORKS...COOPERSTOWN...

FINLEY...HOPE...MAYVILLE...HILLSBORO...HATTON...PORTLAND...

VALLEY CITY...EDINBURG...ADAMS...LANKIN

332 AM CST FRI DEC 23 2016

...BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH

MONDAY MORNING...

* TIMING...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE FROM SUNDAY

AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

* WINDS / VISIBILITIES...WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 55 MPH COULD

CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT

DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

DAMAGE TO TREES AND POWER LINES IS POSSIBLE

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 13 INCHES

ARE POSSIBLE.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR

BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.

THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY

DANGEROUS.

Updates through the storm 

Minnesota Public Radio will keep you updated on the storm throughout this weekend.

You'll also be able to read about the developing storm here on the Updraft blog, and you will see updated winter storm information on our severe weather live blog.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will have current road conditions.