The biggest snow of the season is coming Saturday night into Sunday afternoon across Minnesota, with the Twin Cities having a 40% to 70% chance of seeing a foot or more of snow this weekend. A Winter Storm Warning will be in effect from Saturday at 7 p.m. through Monday morning for much of central and southern Minnesota.
Between 10 and 16 inches can be expected in the warning area and a narrow swath could pick up 15 to 20 inches. The combination of heavy snow and gusty winds will reduce visibility and create periods of blizzard conditions on Sunday across western and southern Minnesota, making travel very difficult or impossible.
Snow is expected to roll in on Saturday evening, with heavy snow falling Saturday night into Sunday, wrapping up Sunday afternoon. The storm is expected to intensify late Saturday night, with snowfall rates of up to two inches per hour possible during the peak, and wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour expected to develop Sunday morning and continue into Monday afternoon.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed an executive order authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations for the winter storm. Steele County has already requested assistance from Guard members and other counties will also likely require assistance in the days to come.
