Blizzard Warning Issued For Twin Cities Metro Area: MN Weather

MINNEAPOLIS — The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Twin Cities metro area and other parts of central Minnesota. The warning will go into effect at 9 p.m. Friday and last through 7 a.m. Saturday.

The following counties are included in the warning area: Sherburne, Isanti, Chisago, Wright, Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Washington, McLeod, Sibley, Carver, Scott, Dakota, and Nicollet.

Travel could be very difficult, thanks to widespread blowing snow that can significantly reduce visibility.

"The snow could be very heavy at times with hourly rates of 1 to 2.5 inches per hour," the NWS said.

"The worst conditions are expected between 9 PM and 4 AM, with snow and strong winds tapering off toward early Saturday morning. Total snowfall amounts will range from 5 to 10 inches from west central and southwest Minnesota to west central Wisconsin, with 2 to 5 inches north of Glenwood and St Cloud, and along I-90. Locally higher amounts are possible if snowfall rates exceed 2 inches per hour."

The gusty winds could blow down tree branches, and travel should be restricted to emergencies only, the NWS warned.

Friday's storm will add to what has already been a historic winter. The 2022-2023 winter season is just 3.8 inches of snow short of being in the top five snowiest winters on record for the metro.

Here's the specific NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Friday Afternoon: A chance of rain and thunderstorms, then rain likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Cloudy, with a high near 37. Breezy, with a northeast wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: Rain before 10pm, then snow. The rain and snow could be heavy at times. Some thunder is also possible. Widespread blowing snow, mainly between 11pm and 5am. Low around 21. Windy, with a north wind 25 to 35 mph, with gusts as high as 50 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.

Saturday: A 10 percent chance of snow before 7am. Patchy blowing snow before 9am. Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 35. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 15 to 25 mph decreasing to 5 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.