Winter storm poised to drop up to 6 inches of snow, wind gusts in Twin Cities, more to the north

A powerful snowstorm was expected to hit Minnesota on Tuesday, bringing up to 6 inches of snow and strong winds to the Twin Cities and heftier amounts to the north.

A winter storm warning, in effect from Tuesday afternoon and evening through Wednesday morning, stretches from southwest Minnesota through the Twin Cities and central Minnesota, and north to Duluth and the Canadian border. Cities included in the warning are Marshall, Willmar, Morris, Fergus Falls, St. Cloud, Brainerd and International Falls.

Precipitation will start out as rain but quickly switch to snow. Once that happens, snow could fall at an inch an hour, the National Weather Service said. By the time the storm departs, the Twin Cities and places such as Mankato and Willmar could have 4 to 6 inches of snow on the ground. More than 6 inches is predicted in an area from Alexandria to Brainerd and from Hinckley to Silver Bay.

Totals could reach a foot in Duluth and along the southern shore of Lake Superior in Wisconsin, the Weather Service said.

Snow was already falling in northwestern Minnesota where roads were becoming slippery by mid-Tuesday morning and was expected to reach the Twin Cities by late Tuesday evening.

“Persons should delay all travel if possible,” the Weather Service said. “If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution and be prepared for sudden changes in visibility.”

That’s because winds gusting to as high as 45 mph will accompany the snow. In greater Minnesota, “blizzard conditions are possible at times,” the Weather Service said.

The potent storm originally forecast to stay farther north has dropped south, expanding the area to be affected. Between an inch and 4 inches could fall along the I-90 corridor across southwest and southern Minnesota.

Though the storm could disrupt ground travel, MnDOT spokesperson Anne Meyer said the agency is “ready to tackle whatever comes our way.”

Trucks are ready to hit the roads, which could become treacherous. But, Meyer said, the pavement is still rather warm, “which works in our favor.”

But still, “it will be challenging” to clear off the roads, she added.

With the worst conditions expected between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., Meyer said anybody venturing out should check 511MN.org, the state’s highway information website.

Foggy and misty conditions had not seriously interrupted operations at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as of 10 a.m. Tuesday. No flights had been canceled but 16 outgoing flights were delayed, according to the flight tracking website flightaware.com.

From Nov. 20 through Dec. 1, more than 441,000 people are expected to pass through security checkpoints. On Wednesday, nearly 47,000 travelers will pass through security while 49,000 are expected on Sunday, which will be the busiest day at MSP, said airport spokesman Jeff Lea.

Behind the storm, temperatures will tumble from the mild 40s and 50s into the 20s by Wednesday morning and remain there for the rest of the week. Lows in the metro will sink into the teens Wednesday through Sunday.

Another snowmaker could hit the area Friday night into Saturday with a 20% chance of even more snow Sunday, the Weather Service said.