Deeper snow, cold coming to Twin Cities

Star Tribune

Last update: January 9, 2009 - 7:52 AM

Snow that began overnight and is expected to fall today will add up to 3 inches to the pile in the Twin Cities metro area. Slightly more is expected to the south, with areas around Mankato, in south-central Minnesota, getting up to 6 inches. Lighter amounts, 1 to 3 inches, should fall to the north, from Brainerd to Moose Lake and eastward to Eau Claire, Wis.

A steady, light snow was falling across much of the southern half of the state at 5:30 a.m. today, the National Weather Service said. The heaviest snow was falling over the southeast corner of the state.

A few accidents reported around 6:30 a.m. slowed the Twin Cities morning commute. An accident on southbound Interstate Hwy. 35E at Little Canada Road blocked one lane; an accident on westbound Interstate Hwy. 94 at Century Avenue closed the right shoulder; and an accident on westbound I-94 at County Road 81 closed one lane.

By 7:45 a.m. only two accidents were reported on Twin Cities highways and neither was blocking traffic.

The leading edge of this morning's storm was on a line from Fargo to Long Prairie, Little Falls and Princeton, to the north suburban Twin City metro cites of Bethel, Forest Lake and over to New Richmond, Wis.

Much of northern and western Minnesota has much deeper snow cover than usual for early January.

Fargo-Moorhead, with 14 inches on the ground (and 39.6 having fallen this season), expects such a depth only once in 20 or more. In the Twin Cities, the 3 inches on the ground at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is about average for the date, according to the Department of Natural Resources' climatology office.

Skiers, snowmobilers and others don't have to kick themselves if they can't get out this weekend. Deep cold is expected to roll across the region late Monday and to preserve the snow at least through next week.

Highs in the Twin Cities are expected to be only barely above zero Tuesday through Thursday. Highs in northern Minnesota will remain below zero, with lows sinking to double digits below zero.

BILL MCAuliffe

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