Blizzard Warning Issued for Southern Minnesota Counties Through Monday Morning

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN has issued a Blizzard Warning for several counties in southern Minnesota. This follows an initial Winter Storm Warning as a major weather system moves across the Upper Midwest. The alert is classified with extreme severity and likely certainty.

Affected Areas

The warning impact zone includes the following Minnesota counties:

• Sibley
• Brown
• Nicollet
• Le Sueur
• Rice
• Watonwan
• Blue Earth
• Waseca
• Steele

Expected Conditions

Residents should prepare for two distinct phases of hazardous weather:

• Winter Storm Phase: Heavy mixed precipitation is expected with total snow accumulations between 2 and 6 inches. Sleet accumulations of approximately one half of an inch and ice accumulations of one tenth of an inch are forecast. Wind gusts may reach 40 mph.
• Blizzard Phase: Conditions will transition to a full blizzard with additional snow accumulations of 3 to 5 inches. Northwest winds will increase to 30 to 40 mph, with gusts reaching as high as 50 to 55 mph.

The combination of falling and blowing snow will result in whiteout conditions and significantly reduced visibility. Additionally, the high water content will make the snowpack very heavy, posing a risk for infrastructure damage and health hazards during removal.

Timeline

• Winter Storm Warning: In effect from 7:00 PM Saturday evening until 10:00 AM CDT Sunday.
• Blizzard Warning: In effect from 10:00 AM Sunday until 4:00 AM CDT Monday.

What You Should Do

Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, ensure you have a winter survival kit in your vehicle. If you become stranded, stay with your vehicle.

Prepare for potential road closures and delay all non-essential travel. Once conditions worsen, shelter in place. Residents are encouraged to monitor road conditions via 511mn.org or by calling 5-1-1. Remember that if interstate highways are closed, secondary state and county roads will also be impassable.