Weather Story

Winter Weather Advisory & Wind Advisory Wednesday

Falling Snow & Strong Wind Gusts Wednesday

Dangerous Cold Weather Ahead

This afternoon and evening light snow will move through the region. Accumulations of a dusting up to 2 inches are expected with isolated pockets of up to 3 inches possible along the Minnesota/Iowa border. Brief reductions in visibility due to falling snow during this evening’s commute are possible. Additionally some slick spots on roadways are also possible. Wednesday additional snow of up to an inch is possible, mostly along and north of I-90. The main concern for Wednesday is the very strong winds, gusting to 40-55+ mph. This could result in blowing and drifting snow, and periods of reduced visibility. Therefore, a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for counties north of I-90. Counties along I-90 and south are under a Wind Advisory. Headline start times are staggered to better show the onset of strong winds, and run until 6 pm Wednesday.

This table shows the timing of snowfall and strongest wind gusts from this afternoon through Wednesday. The time frame inside the red box is the most likely timing for wind gusts of 40-55+ mph. Blowing and drifting snow is possible during this time, with reductions in visibility down to near whiteout conditions possible. There is some uncertainty on how strong the winds will actually be, and an upgrade in headline to High Wind Warning may be necessary. High profile vehicles will need to use caution.

Very cold temperatures are expected to settle in this week. By Friday evening wind chills as low as minus 30 to minus 40 Fahrenheit are expected and will continue into Saturday. A Cold Weather Watch has been issued from 9 pm Friday until 2 pm Saturday. If you must be outside during this time, please ensure you are properly dressed for cold weather. This includes dressing in layers, hats, gloves, scarves, and limiting exposure as much as possible. Frostbite can occur in less than 30 minutes.