Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

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https://twitter.com/NWSTwinCities/status/821218220283666433

A massive, multi-state ice storm coated southern Minnesota and grazed the Twin Cities overnight into this morning. The storm produced three to four days of freezing rain in parts of the Midwest. It left as much as one-half inch to 1 inch of ice coated roads, trees and power lines in parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

https://twitter.com/NWSDodgeCity/status/820713039997571072

Some of the most amazing yet damaging images I've ever seen of an ice storm are rolling in from western Kansas, where more than 1 inch of ice accumulation brought down trees and power lines.

https://twitter.com/SimonStormRider/status/821273765103497217

This ice storm covers a large territory. Ice totals over 1 inch coated western Kansas.

https://twitter.com/NWSTopeka/status/821177779286843393

Nebraska is also hit hard by three-fourths of an inch of ice glazing.

https://twitter.com/NWSOmaha/status/821099161802117125

Ice totals across Nebraska show the widespread nature of the ice event.

https://twitter.com/NWSOmaha/status/821196061851140096

Southern Minnesota picked up anywhere from one-tenth to three-tenths of an inch of ice accumulation. Roads across southern Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin look like skating rinks this morning.

https://twitter.com/NWSLaCrosse/status/821169635387117568

https://twitter.com/NWSLaCrosse/status/821341759598919680

The southeast half of the Twin Cities saw ice overnight. Most of the metro got off lucky compared to points south. But it only takes a thin coating of ice to send your feet flying out from under you. Be careful walking out there today. Untreated driveways, sidewalks and parking lots are deceptively slick.

The warm layer about 500 feet above ground level is impressive, nearly 1 mile thick.

https://twitter.com/NWSTwinCities/status/821235203557433344

Thankfully our ice storm ends this morning.

Next, we turn our weather attention toward a massive, long-duration January thaw. We could see seven to 11 days above freezing in the Twin Cities and much of southern Minnesota. Highs in the 40s are likely in the Twin Cities late this week and early next week.

This could be one of the longer January thaws on record.

https://twitter.com/NWSTwinCities/status/821015697392336900

The evolving warm pattern covers the entire eastern half of the United States this week. Temperatures will run as much as 20 degrees warmer than average over a huge chunk of the U.S. and Canada.

There are early signs of a potential major winter storm with rain to snow potential by next Tuesday or Wednesday for parts of Minnesota. Winter down, but not out.

High impact, multi-state ice storm; week-long January thaw next

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