Sleet to Become Snow This Afternoon: Hazardous Weather Outlook in Mendota, Inver Grove

A mix of freezing rain and sleet falling this morning is expected to become snow by 2 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service. 

By Saturday morning, Mendota Heights, Inver Grove Heights and much of the Twin Cities and surrounding area could see from three to five inches of snow.

The National Weather Service issued this hazardous weather outlook at 4:57 a.m. Friday:

DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT TWO ROUNDS OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE FIRST ROUND WILL COME THIS MORNING...AS PRECIPITATION STARTS OUT AS FREEZING RAIN FOR 2 TO 4 HOURS...BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO SNOW. ICE ACCUMULATIONS UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH...ALONG WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE.

THERE WERE BE A LULL IN PRECIPITATION MID DAY...BEFORE A SECOND ROUND OF SNOW ARRIVES IN WESTERN MINNESOTA AFTER 3 PM AND MOVES EAST ACROSS THE REST OF THE AREA THROUGH THE EVENING. THIS NOW WILL TAPER OFF LATE TONIGHT OVER WESTERN WISCONSIN. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS FEATURE.

WITH BOTH WAVES...THE BEST CHANCES FOR SEEING WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL EXIST ALONG AND NORTH OF A GRANITE FALLS...TO MANKATO...TO LA CROSSE LINE. .

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A LATE SEASON WINTER STORM APPEARS LIKELY LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY NIGHT...WITH SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY IN THE OUTLOOK AREA. IN ADDITION...VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE SYSTEM MONDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW POSSIBLE.

The National Weather Service also issued this winter weather advisory at 4:11 a.m. Friday:

WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW BECOMING ALL SNOW BY LATE MORNING... ...A BREAK FROM PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...  

A WINTRY MIX IS SPREADING ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING. INITIALLY...WARMER TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL CAUSE PRECIPITATION TO TAKE THE FORM OF MAINLY FREEZING RAIN...WHICH COULD AT TIMES BE MIXED WITH SLEET. THIS WINTRY MIX WILL GRADUALLY TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA...INCLUDING SAINT CLOUD AND ALEXANDRIA BY 7 OR 8 AM. THE TRANSITION TO SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTHWARD...WITH MINNEAPOLIS AND EAU CLAIRE CHANGING OVER BY LATE MORNING. THERE WILL BE A LULL IN THE PRECIPITATION DURING THE LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW DEVELOPING THEREAFTER. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM A TRACE TO A TENTH OF AN INCH THIS MORNING. BY SATURDAY MORNING...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94...WITH AROUND 2 INCHES SOUTH.

PORTIONS OF THE ADVISORY MAY NEED TO BE CANCELLED ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA IF INDICATIONS OF A MORE NORTHERLY PLACEMENT OF PRECIPITATION CONTINUES.