Rochester Expecting Slippery Mix Followed by Accumulating Snow
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - As expected, the brunt of the winter storm system hitting Minnesota is being felt in the central and northeastern sections of the state. but a slippery and sloppy mix of precipitation is impacting travel in southeastern Minnesota tonight with accumulating snow expected tomorrow.
As of 6 PM, the highest snowfall total was 12 inches along the North Shore about 20 miles northeast of Duluth. Earlier today, Evansville in west-central Minnesota reported 9.5 inches of accumulation while Little Falls had seen 8.5 inches by mid-afternoon. The highest snow total from the storm system, so far, is in northwestern Wisconsin, where 21 inches of snow was reported in Washburn.
A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect in southeastern Minnesota until 6 PM Tuesday. The latest prediction was from the National Weather Service calls for an icy mix of freezing drizzle and snow tonight and into early tomorrow with minor accumulations. Temperatures are predicted to fall through the day tomorrow and shift the precipitation to all snow. The current forecast calls for a total of 2-4 inches of accumulation, mainly before 3 PM. The snow will be accompanied by north winds gusting to nearly 30 miles per hour.
The low-pressure center responsible will then pull Arctic air into the region. The National Weather Service says the low early Wednesday morning should be around zero with wind chill readings in the mid-teens below zero. A high Wednesday afternoon may only be around 10 degrees with similar wind chill readings.