First winter snowstorm on the way to Minnesota

[MUSIC PLAYING] CHRIS FARRELL: Our top story on Minnesota Now. Much of the state is under a winter storm warning. The forecast has shifted to include more snow hitting the Twin Cities metro. This, of course, comes at one of the busiest travel weeks of the year with Thanksgiving. We're going to talk to MnDOT about how they're working to keep the roads safe. But first, we're going to get the latest forecast from MPR News meteorologist Mandy Thalhuber. Mandy?

MANDY THALHUBER: Hey, Chris. Yeah, it's not uncommon to have snow. It's just late in the season. And it's coming fast and furious, Chris. That's what we're most concerned about. It's like the first person in line for Thanksgiving food. That's what it looks like right now.

CHRIS FARRELL: I know. OK. But there was a shift in this forecast because when Minnesota Now yesterday, it was like, well, it's coming, but it's going to be later. Now we got a shift.

MANDY THALHUBER: We do have a shift. And that's really the big thing to talk about in the forecast, is areas that weren't previously under a winter storm warning now are under a winter storm warning, areas like the Twin Cities, South Marshall, Redwood Falls, Mankato.

The warning also includes Central Minnesota, all the way up through the Arrowhead region, parts of northwestern Wisconsin as well. But then also areas did get downgraded, Chris, from this system. So northwestern Minnesota got downgraded to a winter weather advisory. That's Thief River Falls, Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls.

And then counties south of I-90 are also in a winter weather advisory from this system. And it looks like areas near the Rochester area and southeastern Minnesota, they're just going to be under a wind advisory with this system. And really, the only area of the state, Chris, that's not affected by the storm is going to be the northwestern corner. And that's like Roseau and Lake of the Woods.

CHRIS FARRELL: So, snow is already falling in some places?

MANDY THALHUBER: Yeah, it's been falling since about 6, 7 o'clock this morning. We're already seeing some moderate heavy snow falling in western Minnesota near Traverse, Big Stone County, near the North Dakota-South Dakota border.

I've been looking at some MnDOT cameras already, Chris. And I'm already seeing some slushy accumulations on the grassy areas. And it could be falling at about an inch an hour. Eveleth Fergus Falls area is reporting some snow, Bemidji, Park Rapids, Detroit Lakes. Even Duluth is reporting some snow at this hour.

And then in the warmer sector of things, that includes Redwood Falls, St. Cloud, the Twin Cities area, we're seeing just that dense fog that is really just held on this morning, lowering visibility. So it's been pretty thick out there this morning.

CHRIS FARRELL: So it goes without saying drive carefully. And when I was walking around Lake Harriet on Sunday, I thought, oh, this is the last really beautiful day, at least for the next couple of months. But for winter to really settle in, don't we need some cold temperatures?

MANDY THALHUBER: Yeah. So, the problem with this system is, again, it's the first big snow of the season. But we're still in a transition period between our seasons. So we still have ground temperatures that are still fairly warm. So we're getting some melting on contact.

This snow is also the very heavy wet snow. So we're also going to see a lot of compaction with this snow. And so that's why snow has-- the totals have been really difficult with this system Chris, just because of the type of snow that it is.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, thank you very much for your time. And I'm sure we'll be talking again.

MANDY THALHUBER: All right. Sounds good. Thank you.

CHRIS FARRELL: MPR News meteorologist Mandy Thalhuber.

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You might be one of the millions getting ready to hit the road for Thanksgiving this week. And the Minnesota Department of Transportation will be working to make sure roads are safe. But the first big snow is always a wake-up call, even for the most experienced winter drivers. Joining us now is Anne Meyer, Spokesperson for MnDOT. Well, welcome.

ANNE MEYER: Thank you. Yes, we're definitely getting into the winter season now.

CHRIS FARRELL: So, there's MnDOT's role, then drivers have to behave responsibly, slow down. But let's start with MnDOT. What are the crews doing today, or are they doing anything today to prep the roads for the storm?

ANNE MEYER: Yeah, we already have dozens of snowplows out in Western Minnesota. As we speak, I'm checking out those snowplow camera views. And what we're seeing is just what she described in terms of we've got that warmer road surface right now, so a lot of this falling snow is melting on contact, even after several hours of getting some of that snowfall.

But we know as the storm continues to move east, temperatures are going to go down, winds are going to pick up, and so are those snowfall amounts. And so what we're watching for, especially here in the Twin Cities, is that transfer-over period.

When is it going to change over from rain into snow? If that happens earlier than expected, we might see more snow amounts in the Twin Cities. If that happens a little bit later, 8, 9, 10 o'clock, we might not have as much snowfall. But it's still going to have an impact, especially in those overnight hours when that snow is falling, those strong winds. So it's going to be the most challenging to drive late tonight and into early Wednesday.

CHRIS FARRELL: So, it's the Thanksgiving week, so normally I would say, OK, if it comes in later, it's not going to be that many drivers on the road. There might be more this time around. How about the crews?

ANNE MEYER: Crews are ready to go. Gosh, we've been watching the weather and waiting for this impact. What we can't do when it starts off as rain is put down a little pretreatment, because it just dilutes in that rain. It washes away. It's ineffective.

But again, where we're getting the advantage is that warmer road surface, which is going to help us out when the snow starts to fall. But our crews are already out there. They're ready to work overnight. They'll continue to work throughout Wednesday to get roads back in the clear.

And another factor that's going to help us out is that the snow should move out quickly. So we're looking to stop that snow in those early morning hours before maybe folks get out on the road to try and get to where they need to be for Thanksgiving. That's going to help our crews get roads back to clear pavement quicker. Because as soon as that snow stops, we can really focus on getting back to the clear.

CHRIS FARRELL: So, for some people, the morning commute to work is going to be probably fairly miserable. Family going to Thanksgiving drive might be fairly miserable. But what are some reminders for folks about driving safely? I mean, what are some things they need to consider?

ANNE MEYER: Many of us are out of the routine of driving in winter since it's been so long with the summer. And last year even, the season wasn't so bad. So we want to remind drivers, always know before you go. If you can take a look at what road conditions are like, get a view of what snow is falling, that's going to help give you some good information to make the best decisions for your route because there will be a varied impact throughout the state, depending upon how much snow has fallen in any one particular area.

But the best thing you can do when you're behind the wheel is slow down. Slower speeds do save lives. Keep a good distance between yourself and other drivers. That can give you that space you need to either slow down quickly, change lanes if you're coming into a situation. And as always, stay back from our snowplows. Give them plenty of safe space to work so they can clear the road before you.

CHRIS FARRELL: Oh, absolutely. Now, this is also a good time since we're reviewing some of the basics here. What about the winter weather kit?

ANNE MEYER: Yeah, we want you to have what you need in your car, just in case you do find yourself in a situation where you might not be able to get help right away. So that's warmer clothing. That's maybe some batteries.

We want to make sure you can get out emergency calls to your family or to emergency crews if you do find yourself in a crash. But just being ready for winter months ahead. It's going to get a lot colder than it is now. We might see a lot more snow throughout the season. So the more you're thinking ahead, the more you're planning ahead, the better it can be for you and all the travels we expect to do between now and spring.

CHRIS FARRELL: All right. Well, I like that. Plan ahead. Think ahead. Anne Meyer is with MnDOT.