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MN weather: Winter storm coming Tuesday
FOX 9 Meteorologist Ian Leonard hast the latest on the first storm of the winter season coming to Minnesota on Tuesday. The Twin Cities metro will be under a Winter Weather Advisory, while further north there will be Winter Storm Watches and Warnings.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The first snowstorm of our cold season will bring rain and snow to the state and parts of the region Tuesday into early Wednesday.
For the latest on the winter storm forecast for Tuesday-Wednesday, click here.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for areas including the Twin Cities metro, central and western Minnesota. From about noon Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon, we should expect 1-3 inches of snow, and with it comes a blast of strong northwest winds at 30-50 mph. It will start with rain Tuesday, and turn to a wintry mix by the evening before a light snow/slush accumulations overnight into Wednesday morning.
The heaviest of the snow will likely be in parts of central and northern Minnesota, where there is a winter storm watch and a winter storm warning in effect from Tuesday morning through Wednesday morning for the combination of accumulating snow and gusty winds leading to blowing snow. The areas in the warning should see 5-7 inches of snow, and communities in the Winter Storm Watch area could see 3-5 inches.
Minnesota weather forecast
Local perspective:
Monday will likely stay mostly quiet, but rain showers will develop and become more numerous late Monday night through the day Tuesday. At the same time, colder air will be pushing in from the north and west that will swap liquid over to frozen precipitation earliest in northwestern Minnesota, with that transition slowly pushing southeastward the rest of the day and night.
Timeline of what to expect in the Twin Cities metro Tuesday-Wednesday
What's next:
For the Twin Cities metro as a whole, rain showers will decorate the area through at least sunset Tuesday, then cooler air will begin moving in with gusty northwest breezes. Once temperatures begin to drop, they will drop quickly to the freeze mark, leading to rain showers swapping for snowflakes, but also the damp ground will begin to freeze as well, with roads likely becoming slippery late into Tuesday evening.
Light to moderate snow bursts will push from west to east across the Twin Cities late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning before tapering around or just after sunrise on Wednesday with an inch or two of accumulation likely.
The heaviest snow will stay in central and northern Minnesota with several inches of accumulation likely leading to slippery roads and tough travel conditions from the second half of Tuesday through the first half of Wednesday.
Timeline:
Here's a timeline of what to expect for the Twin Cities metro:
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday: On and off rain showers, with temperatures in the 40s.
- 5 p.m. Tuesday to 2 a.m. Wednesday: Rain switches to snow. It'll be gusty with sliding temperatures that'll quickly turn frozen.
- 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday: Flakes flourish and then fade. It'll be cold and windy with pockets of blowing snow. Temperatures in the 20s.
How much snow could Minnesota get?
By the numbers:
The Twin Cities metro will likely only pick up an inch or two of snow by Wednesday morning. The heaviest snow is expected in central and northern Minnesota, where 3–6 inches of snow is possible by early Wednesday.