Rain tonight; ice storm, blizzard and winter storm warnings in northern MN into Monday
The Twin Cities metro area and much of southern Minnesota will see periods of rain tonight, with a thunderstorm also possible.
A freezing rain advisory continues until 6 p.m. just north of the Twin Cities and also over southeastern Minnesota.
A high wind warning for about the southern half of Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, is in effect until 3 p.m. Monday. Winds of 30 to 35 mph with gusts close to 50 mph are expected.
Central Minnesota will see some freezing rain at times this evening, and an ice storm warning continues from around Morris to St. Cloud until 6 p.m. An ice storm warning is in effect until midnight from around Fergus Falls eastward, including Brainerd:
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Here are some ice storm warning details, from the National Weather Service:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
328 PM CST SUN DEC 25 2016
...FREEZING RAIN MOVING INTO THE NORTHLAND FROM THE SOUTH...
.A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE NORTHLAND
TONIGHT AND MONDAY. A LARGE AREA OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET AND SNOW
WAS SPREADING INTO SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE REGION AS OF SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. THIS PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHWARD AS
THE NIGHT WEARS ON. ROADS ARE ALREADY VERY SLIPPERY DUE TO
FREEZING DRIZZLE THIS MORNING. THE PRECIPITATION THAT WILL MOVE IN
THIS EVENING WILL BE MUCH HEAVIER...AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE
ROADS NEARLY IMPASSABLE IN SOME AREAS. AS THE FREEZING RAIN MOVED
THROUGH SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA...IT CAUSED MANY CRASHES
AND EVEN SOME ROAD CLOSURES FOR A TIME.
TREES AND POWER LINES ALREADY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ICE ON
THEM. THE ADDITIONAL FREEZING RAIN COULD CAUSE TREES AND POWER
LINES TO TOPPLE...CREATING POWER OUTAGES.
THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN FOR ICE WILL BE FROM THE BRAINERD LAKES
REGION...TO THE DULUTH AREA AND INTO THE ARROWHEAD. ANOTHER AREA
OF CONCERN WILL BE FROM HINCKLEY INTO NORTHWEST WISCONSIN...
ALTHOUGH WE ARE EXPECTING TEMPERATURES TO SLOWLY RISE ABOVE
FREEZING OVERNIGHT. UNTIL THEN...ROADS MAY BECOME EXTREMELY SLICK
IN A HURRY. SNOW WILL BE THE MAIN CONCERN FURTHER NORTH...FROM THE
IRON RANGE NORTHWARD TO THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. ANYWHERE FROM 4
TO 8 INCHES OF NEW SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY.
STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO BE A CONCERN...WITH GUSTY EAST WINDS
BECOMING WESTERLY LATER TONIGHT AND ON MONDAY. SOME WIND GUSTS MAY
REACH 40 MPH AT TIMES...CAUSING SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.
NO MATTER WHAT TYPE OF PRECIPITATION FALLS IN YOUR AREA...IT WILL
NOT BE A GOOD NIGHT FOR DRIVING ACROSS THE REGION DUE TO
SIGNIFICANT ICING. IF YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST TRAVEL...BRING A WINTER
SURVIVAL KIT AND ALSO A CELL PHONE IF YOU HAVE ONE.
MNZ025-033-034-260600-
/O.CON.KDLH.IS.W.0001.000000T0000Z-161226T0600Z/
NORTH CASS-SOUTH CASS-CROW WING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WALKER...PINE RIVER...BRAINERD
328 PM CST SUN DEC 25 2016
...ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST
TONIGHT...
* LOCATIONS...WALKER...CASS LAKE...REMER...PINE RIVER...AND
BRAINERD.
* TIMING...TONIGHT.
* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...ONE QUARTER TO ONE THIRD OF AN INCH.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...1 TO 3 INCHES.
* SUSTAINED WINDS...EAST 10 TO 25 MPH TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEST 20
TO 30 MPH ON MONDAY.
* WIND GUSTS...UP TO 40 MPH.
* VISIBILITIES...AS LOW AS ONE HALF OF A MILE.
* IMPACTS...ICE AND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL CREATE TREACHEROUS
DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE WEIGHT OF THE ICE AND SNOW ON TREE
LIMBS AND POWER LINES COULD PRODUCE NUMEROUS OUTAGES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
AN ICE STORM WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SIGNIFICANT ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL MAKE
TRAVEL DANGEROUS OR IMPOSSIBLE. TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED
CHRISTMAS DAY INTO MONDAY. 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. PREPARE NOW
FOR POTENTIAL POWER OUTAGES THAT COULD LAST FOR LONGER THAN A FEW
HOURS.
Northeastern and north-central Minnesota will see periods of freezing rain tonight, then some snow tomorrow morning, along with high winds.
A winter storm warning is effect for north-central and northeastern Minnesota until noon Monday:
Some details of the winter storm warning, from the Duluth NWS:
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BIGFORK...HIBBING...GRAND RAPIDS...
HILL CITY...DULUTH
328 PM CST SUN DEC 25 2016
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST MONDAY...
* LOCATIONS...BIGFORK...THE IRON RANGE CITIES...COTTON...AND
DULUTH.
* TIMING...TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY MONDAY.
* ICE ACCUMULATIONS...ONE QUARTER TO ONE THIRD OF AN INCH.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...2 TO 5 INCHES.
* SUSTAINED WINDS...EAST 15 TO 25 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.
Far northwestern Minnesota has a blizzard warning for snow and high winds and severely reduced visibilities until 4 p.m. Monday:
Some details of the blizzard warning, from the NWS:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND FORKS ND
502 PM CST SUN DEC 25 2016
MNZ001-004-007-NDZ006>008-014>016-024-026>030-054-262200-
/O.CON.KFGF.BZ.W.0006.000000T0000Z-161226T2200Z/
WEST POLK-KITTSON-WEST MARSHALL-TOWNER-CAVALIER-PEMBINA-BENSON-
RAMSEY-EASTERN WALSH COUNTY-EDDY-NELSON-GRAND FORKS-GRIGGS-STEELE-
TRAILL-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...
EDINBURG...ADAMS...LANKIN
502 PM CST SUN DEC 25 2016
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST MONDAY...
THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM CST MONDAY.
* TIMING...EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP AROUND 5 PM AND
THEN DIMINISH AROUND 4 PM MONDAY. EXPECT FALLING SNOW TO BEGIN
BEFORE 5 PM WITH WINDS BECOMING STRONGER AFTER 5 PM.
* WINDS / VISIBILITIES...WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 55 MPH WILL
CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS IN BLOWING SNOW. SIGNIFICANT DRIFTING
OF THE SNOW IS LIKELY...ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS. DAMAGE TO
TREES AND POWER LINES IS POSSIBLE.
* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS...TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 14 INCHES
ARE EXPECTED. THERE WILL BE A SHARP CUTOFF TO LESS SNOW
SOMEWHERE SOUTH ALONG A VALLEY CITY TO GRAND FORKS TO BAUDETTE
LINE.
* 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.
Here's a summary of the snow and wind that are expected tonight and Monday:
Clickable maps, with forecast updates for your area, are available from the following National Weather Service forecast offices:
You can see updated winter storm information on our severe weather live blog.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has current road conditions.