Whiteout: Blizzard warnings in western MN; temperatures statewide set to crash

High winds lifting loose fluffy snow cover airborne

A car sits on the side of a highway in a blizzard
The Minnesota State Patrol captured a video of this vehicle that went off the road on Interstate 94 about 10 miles east of Moorhead. The state patrol advises limiting any driving, and if travel is necessary, slow down and turn on headlights.
Courtesy of Minnesota State Patrol

Weather conditions have deteriorated rapidly in western Minnesota.

A quick-hitting arctic front is driving wind gusts to near 40 mph and causing the temperature to plunge into subzero territory. Blowing snow is reducing visibility to less than a quarter-mile in some areas.

Most of Minnesota will see around an inch of snow as the front pushes through Wednesday. The highest winds favor western Minnesota.

Snow and wind projections
Snow and wind projections
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Sudden arctic front

Our inbound arctic front brings a sudden temperature drop into a subzero air mass. Wind chills behind the front are in the minus 40s. That bitter air mass sweeps across Minnesota by Wednesday night. Subzero wind chills cover the entire Upper Midwest Thursday morning.

Wind chill forecast for 7 am Thursday
Wind chill forecast for 7 am Thursday
NOAA

Blizzard warnings

Blizzard warnings are in effect Wednesday for a big chunk of western Minnesota including the Red River Valley into North Dakota.

Warnings
Warnings
Twin Cities National Weather Service

Wind chill warnings and advisories are also posted for dangerous wind chill levels as low as the minus 40s up north.

Bitter, but brief

This cold snap is brutal but brief. Temperatures rebound this weekend with high in the 30s above zero once again.

Temperature forecast for Twin Cities
Temperature forecast for Twin Cities
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, via Weather Bell

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