Winter Storm Warning Issued for South-Central Minnesota; Up to 18 Inches of Snow Forecast

Alert Details

The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN has issued a Winter Storm Warning for south-central Minnesota. The alert is in response to a powerful winter storm on track to bring extreme snow accumulations and gusty winds to the region.

Affected Areas

The warning covers the following Minnesota counties:

• Meeker
• McLeod
• Sibley
• Scott
• Dakota
• Brown
• Nicollet
• Le Sueur
• Rice
• Goodhue
• Watonwan
• Blue Earth
• Waseca
• Steele

What You Should Do

Residents are advised that travel could become very difficult to impossible. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. For the latest road conditions, call 5 1 1 or visit 511mn.org. Additionally, the heavy, wet nature of the snow may pose a health hazard for those shoveling and could lead to infrastructure damage or downed tree branches.

Expected Conditions

• Snow Accumulation: Total snow accumulations between 12 and 18 inches are expected.
• Sleet: Accumulations up to one-tenth of an inch.
• Wind: Northwest winds will increase to 35 to 45 mph on Sunday, creating periods of blizzard conditions and significantly reducing visibility due to blowing snow.
• Snow Quality: The snow will be wet and very heavy due to high water content.

Timeline

The Winter Storm Warning is effective from 7:00 PM Saturday, March 14, through 7:00 AM CDT Monday, March 16. The heaviest snow is expected to fall Saturday evening and overnight, with snowfall rates potentially reaching 2 inches per hour. Hazardous conditions are expected to impact the Monday morning commute.