NEXT Weather Alert factors:
- 4-8 inches of fluffy snow Wednesday
- Blizzard conditions Thursday
- Dangerously cold wind chills until Saturday
MINNEAPOLIS — Just as many are preparing to travel to see family during the holidays, the National Weather Service warns that potentially dangerous winter weather could make travel “impossible and life-threatening” starting on Thursday.
The Twin Cities and a good chunk of Wisconsin are under a winter storm warning through noon on Saturday, while northern Minnesota is under a winter weather advisory.
But the greatest concern is the blizzard warning in southwestern Minnesota, which will be in effect for much of Thursday and Friday.
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The storm system will arrive with some light snow during the Wednesday morning commute, with heavier bands of snow falling throughout the day before it begins to taper off in the evening hours.
The snow should reach the metro by about 9 a.m., and it will still be snowing at a pretty good clip during the evening commute. The system will finally exit Minnesota early Thursday morning.
CBS
The most snow will stack up throughout the southern half of the state and the metro, with 4-8 inches expected. Northern Minnesota will likely see 2-3 inches.
Don’t get too hung up on the snow totals: This will be a light, powdery snow that will be very easy to shovel. Thursday morning will be the ideal time to start clearing your walkways and driveways.
Thursday morning will also be the best time to travel, before winds blowing from the northwest pick up speeds between 20-40 mph.
It’s going to be difficult to see just about anything with the whiteout conditions, especially late Thursday night. And that’s when that strong wind will be combining with the cold air – creating feels-like temperatures of minus-30 in the metro from Thursday night into Saturday.
Blowing snow will continue Friday. And now the strong wind combines with the cold air to create dangerous wind chills. Expect a feel factor at times of 30 to 45 degrees below zero.
As we head towards Christmas Day, things will start to settle down, and we will even have a warm-up heading into next week.