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MN weather: Freezing rain expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning
A wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow is expected to bring treacherous travel conditions to the Twin Cities Wednesday night and and Thursday morning. FOX 9's Ian Leonard has the latest forecast.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - An overnight mix of rain, snow, ice and sleet is expected to create a messy commute on Thursday morning.
The weather has the potential to cripple transportation in the area as freezing rain covers the roadways.
READ MORE: Minnesota weather: Quiet Wednesday before snow, rain, and icy conditions Thursday
Timeline of snow, ice and rain in the Twin Cities
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Minnesota weather: What to expect Wednesday night, Thursday morning
Rain, snow, ice and sleet are expected to create hazardous travel conditions overnight. Thursday could see slick surfaces during the morning commute. FOX 9's Ian Leonard has the latest update.
Timeline:
This weather event is all about ice, with freezing rain threatening to create slick and dangerous travel conditions.
The wintry mix is expected to arrive in the Twin Cities metro around 6 p.m. with snow and sleet falling alongside light rain.
Things get much icier during the overnight hours, with gusty winds bringing colder temperatures and making travel conditions more difficult.
By 6 a.m. on Thursday, freezing rain could bring travel to a standstill, with accumulating ice creating slushy road conditions.
The afternoon hours are expected to bring warmer conditions as precipitation transitions to rain.
Precipitation estimates
Map shows winter storm watches and warnings across the region. (FOX 9)
By the numbers:
In the northern part of Minnesota, where a winter storm watch is in place, there is about 3–5 inches of wet, sloppy, heavy snow expected overnight on Wednesday into early Thursday morning.
There is a winter weather advisory in central and southern Minnesota, where a wintry mix of rain, snow and sleet is expected.
Freezing rain is expected to hit the Twin Cities metro area, where a winter storm warning is in place. The sleet could converge with the freezing rain and possibly produce between a quarter to a half inch of accumulating ice.
Xcel Energy response
What they're saying:
Xcel Energy said its crews are preparing for a night of freezing rain and icy conditions that could lead to power outages in the area.
Officials say ice formation could bring down tree branches and power lines across central and southern Minnesota.
Crews are expected to prioritize the largest outages first in order to restore power to the largest number of customers as quickly as possible.
Twin Cities residents are advised to stay alert and be ready for potential power outages.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.