Freezing rain advisory to 3 p.m.; ice storm, blizzard and winter storm warnings central and north

Travel will be difficult in much of Minnesota this Christmas.

A low pressure system will give us some drizzle and freezing drizzle to start the day, then freezing rain and rain.

In the colder air in northern Minnesota, heavy snow is possible. Northwestern Minnesota could see blizzard conditions later today.

The Twin Cities metro area and southern Minnesota are  in a freezing rain advisory until 3 p.m. today:

Here are some details, from the Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN

207 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

...SIGNIFICANT ICING COUPLED WITH STRONG WINDS MAY RESULT IN

POWER OUTAGES TODAY ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

.WIDESPREAD LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE HAS DEVELOPED EARLY THIS

MORNING AND IS RESULTING IN SPIN OUTS. A STEADIER FREEZING RAIN

WILL BEGIN BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA WHICH

WILL RESULT IN MORE SUBSTANTIAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS. ICE

ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM A TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH IN

CENTRAL MINNESOTA...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS EXPECTED NORTH OF

MORRIS TO ST CLOUD MINNESOTA WHERE AN ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN

EFFECT. PRECIPITATION SHOULD BECOME ALL RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH

THIS AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM THROUGH THE 30S.

MNZ044-045-050>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-

251615-

/O.EXT.KMPX.ZR.Y.0002.161225T0807Z-161225T2100Z/

MILLE LACS-KANABEC-BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-

SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-

WASHINGTON-YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-

DAKOTA-REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-

BLUE EARTH-WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-

RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PRINCETON...MORA...FOLEY...ELK RIVER...

CAMBRIDGE...CENTER CITY...MADISON...BENSON...MONTEVIDEO...

WILLMAR...LITCHFIELD...MONTICELLO...MINNEAPOLIS...BLAINE...

ST PAUL...STILLWATER...GRANITE FALLS...OLIVIA...HUTCHINSON...

GAYLORD...CHASKA...SHAKOPEE...HASTINGS...REDWOOD FALLS...

NEW ULM...ST PETER...LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...RED WING...ST JAMES...

MANKATO...WASECA...OWATONNA...FAIRMONT...BLUE EARTH...

ALBERT LEA...OSCEOLA...RICE LAKE...LADYSMITH...HUDSON...

RIVER FALLS...PRESCOTT...MENOMONIE...DURAND...CHIPPEWA FALLS...

EAU CLAIRE

207 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM CST THIS

AFTERNOON...

* TIMING...FREEZING DRIZZLE THIS MORNING WILL BECOME STEADIER BY

EARLY AFTERNOON AS THE MAIN ROUND MOVES IN. PRECIPITATION WILL

TRANSITION TO ALL RAIN BY MID AFTERNOON AS TEMPERATURES WARM

INTO THE UPPER 30S.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...UP TO ONE TENTH OF AN INCH.

* WINDS...EAST SOUTHEAST BETWEEN 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 40

TO 50 MPH BY AFTERNOON.

* MAIN IMPACTS...DIFFICULT TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN OR

FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR

SLIPPERY ROADS. SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

In the colder air, from about Morris to St. Cloud northward, there is an ice storm warning.

Here are details of the ice storm warning:

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ALEXANDRIA...LONG PRAIRIE...

LITTLE FALLS...MORRIS...GLENWOOD...ST CLOUD

207 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST THIS MORNING...

...ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM THIS MORNING TO

6 PM CST THIS EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED

A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM CST THIS

MORNING.

* TIMING...FREEZING DRIZZLE THIS MORNING WILL BECOME A STEADIER

FREEZING RAIN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS THE MAIN ROUND MOVES IN.

PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION TO ALL RAIN BY EVENING AS

TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE UPPER 30S.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...AROUND 1/4 INCH.

* WINDS...EAST SOUTHEAST BETWEEN 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 40

TO 50 MPH BY AFTERNOON.

* MAIN IMPACTS...ICING ON POWER LINES COUPLED WITH THE STRONG

WINDS MAY RESULT IN FAIRLY WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES. DANGEROUS

TRAVEL CONDITIONS ARE ALSO EXPECTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE

EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ICE ACCUMULATIONS

WILL MAKE TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY

DISCOURAGED. COMMERCE WILL LIKELY BE SEVERELY IMPACTED. IF YOU

MUST TRAVEL...KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER IN YOUR

VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY. ICE ACCUMULATIONS AND WINDS WILL

LIKELY LEAD TO SNAPPED POWER LINES AND FALLING TREE BRANCHES THAT

ADD TO THE DANGER.

Northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota will see some freezing rain and sleet, followed by snow and strong winds. A blizzard warning is in effect for parts of far northwestern Minnesota, with a winter storm warning through the remainder of northern Minnesota:

Here are some details:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND

354 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

MNZ001-004-007-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-038-054-261800-

/O.CON.KFGF.BZ.W.0006.161225T1800Z-161226T1800Z/

WEST POLK-KITTSON-WEST MARSHALL-TOWNER-CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON-

RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-

TRAILL-BARNES-WESTERN WALSH COUNTY-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CROOKSTON...EAST GRAND FORKS...

HALLOCK...KARLSTAD...LANCASTER...WARREN...STEPHEN...ARGYLE...

CANDO...LANGDON...CAVALIER...WALHALLA...DRAYTON...PEMBINA...

NECHE...ST. THOMAS...FORT TOTTEN...MADDOCK...LEEDS...

MINNEWAUKAN...DEVILS LAKE...GRAFTON...PARK RIVER...NEW ROCKFORD...

LAKOTA...MCVILLE...ANETA...TOLNA...GRAND FORKS...COOPERSTOWN...

FINLEY...HOPE...MAYVILLE...HILLSBORO...HATTON...PORTLAND...

VALLEY CITY...EDINBURG...ADAMS...LANKIN

354 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO NOON CST

MONDAY...

* TIMING...EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP AROUND NOON AND

THEN DIMINISH AROUND NOON MONDAY.

* WINDS / VISIBILITIES...WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 MPH WILL

CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT

DRIFTING OF THE SNOW IS LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.

TREE BRANCHES COULD FALL AS WELL.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 13 INCHES

ARE EXPECTED. PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY PRECEDED THE ONSET OF

SNOW.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE

EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS

AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT

CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF

YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET

STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE. THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR

THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.

Northeastern Minnesota will see some freezing rain, then snow and strong winds. A winter storm warning is in effect:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...UPDATED

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN

324 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

...MAJOR WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE ENTIRE NORTHLAND TODAY AND

TOMORROW...

.A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT THE ENTIRE REGION TODAY...

TONIGHT AND MONDAY. AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND LIGHT

SNOW WILL PERSIST EARLY THIS MORNING...AND WILL RESULT IN SLICK

SPOTS ON AREA ROADS...BRIDGES...RAMPS AND OVERPASSES. TRAVEL AND

ROAD CONDITIONS WILL WORSEN QUICKLY AND DRAMATICALLY THIS

AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS PRECIPITATION WILL RAPIDLY INCREASE IN

COVERAGE AND INTENSITY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. PRECIPITATION WILL

LIKELY BEGIN AS A SHORT PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IN MOST

AREAS...BUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF HOURS WILL TRANSITION TO A WINTRY

MIXTURE OF MAINLY FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET...WITH PERHAPS SOME

SNOW. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IS IN AREAS

FROM THE BRAINERD LAKES AND WALKER AREAS EAST-NORTHEASTWARD TO

GRAND RAPIDS... DULUTH... COTTON...AND PORTIONS OF THE MINNESOTA

ARROWHEAD. ICE ACCUMULATION OF GREATER THAN ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH

MAY POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT IN THESE AREAS. PEOPLE IN THESE

AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE POWER OUTAGES.

SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION OF SIX INCHES OR GREATER WILL BE

MOST LIKELY FROM KOOCHICHING COUNTY EASTWARD ALONG THE

INTERNATIONAL BORDER TO GRAND MARAIS AND GRAND PORTAGE. THE SNOW

IS EXPECTED TO BE HEAVY AND WET...AND WILL EASILY CLING TO TREES

AND POWER LINES. AFTER A 3 TO 6 HOUR BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION

SOMETIME SUNDAY NIGHT... PRECIPITATION WILL TRANSITION BACK TO ALL

SNOW FROM WEST TO EAST LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING...WITH

SNOW ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST BY MONDAY EVENING. STRONG WEST TO

NORTHWEST WINDS LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MAY CAUSE BLOWING

AND DRIFTING SNOW...AND COULD POTENTIALLY RESULT IN POWER OUTAGES

DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATION ON TREES AND POWER

LINES.

CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING IN THE HIGH IMPACTS OF THIS EVENT...YET

THERE STILL EXISTS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE

MIXED PRECIPITATION TYPES...AND HOW FAR NORTH THE TRANSITION ZONE

WILL REACH. AT THIS POINT...IT APPEARS THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE

ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA BUT A SMALL SHIFT WESTWARD

IN THE STORM TRACK WOULD LIKELY MEAN MORE ICE THAN CURRENTLY

FORECAST...EVEN ACROSS FAR NORTHERN MINNESOTA.

THE MAIN TAKE AWAY MESSAGE IS: NO MATTER THE EVENTUAL TYPE OF

PRECIPITATION...SLICK AND HAZARDOUS ROADS AND MAJOR IMPACTS TO

TRAVEL ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION DURING ONE OF THE

BUSIEST TRAVEL PERIODS OF THE YEAR. IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS TODAY

OR TOMORROW...BE SURE TO STAY CURRENT WITH THE LATEST WEATHER AND

ROAD CONDITION INFORMATION. IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL THIS AFTERNOON

THROUGH MONDAY...CONSIDER CHANGING YOUR PLANS TO AVOID BEING ON

THE ROAD DURING THAT TIME... WHICH WILL ENCOMPASS THE PEAK OF THE

STORM AND DANGEROUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN MANY AREAS. THE HEAVY

ACCUMULATIONS OF ICE AND HEAVY WET SNOW COULD CAUSE POWER OUTAGES

IN MANY AREAS...SO BE SURE TO PREPARE NOW FOR THE POTENTIAL FOR

LOSS OF POWER.

MNZ018-019-026-035-037-251900-

/O.CON.KDLH.WS.W.0007.161225T1800Z-161226T1800Z/

NORTH ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTH ITASCA-NORTHERN AITKIN-

CARLTON/SOUTH ST. LOUIS-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BIGFORK...HIBBING...GRAND RAPIDS...

HILL CITY...DULUTH

324 AM CST SUN DEC 25 2016

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO NOON

CST MONDAY...

* LOCATIONS...BIGFORK...THE IRON RANGE CITIES...COTTON...AND

DULUTH.

* TIMING...MIDDAY TODAY THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY.

* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...ONE QUARTER TO ONE THIRD OF AN INCH.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 5 INCHES.

* SUSTAINED WINDS...EAST 15 TO 20 MPH TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEST 20

TO 30 MPH ON MONDAY.

* WIND GUSTS...UP TO 40 MPH.

* IMPACTS...SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL MAKE MANY ROADS

TREACHEROUS AND IMPASSABLE. THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW AND ICE ON

TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES COULD PRODUCE WIDESPREAD OUTAGES.

STRONG WINDS WILL LEAD TO BLOWING SNOW...REDUCED VISIBILITY...

AND ADDITIONAL POWER OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW AND WINTRY MIXED

PRECIPITATION MEANS HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW...SLEET AND

FREEZING RAIN ARE EXPECTED. EXPECT EXTREMELY SLIPPERY AND

DANGEROUS SNOW AND ICE COVERED ROADS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...

EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR

DESTINATION. HAVE A WORKING CELL PHONE IN CASE YOU BECOME

STRANDED. KEEP A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT IN YOUR VEHICLE...INCLUDING

A FLASHLIGHT...FOOD...AND WATER. PREPARE NOW FOR POTENTIAL POWER

OUTAGES THAT COULD LAST FOR LONGER THAN A FEW HOURS.

You can see updated winter storm information on our severe weather live blog.

Please share your photos and storm reports with our Public Insight Network and we can include them in our coverage.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has current road conditions.