Crime & Safety

National Weather Service Declares Winter Storm Warning

Snow could start falling in earnest Wednesday night.

(Updated 8:14 a.m. April 9 to show that the National Weather Service had upgraded the winter storm watch to a winter storm warning.)

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The Twin Cities office of the National Weather Service on Monday declared a winter storm watch for much of west central and central Minnesota, including Dakota County.

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A winter storm watch means “there is a potential for significant snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel.”

Some parts of the region could see as much as six inches of snow fall between Tuesday morning and Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In Dakota County, the forecast calls for rain until Tuesday night, when sleet will start accumulating. Snow will begin Wednesday, and three to seven inches could fall Wednesday night. More snow is expected Thursday.

The full winter storm watch is as follows:

... WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING: LIGHT RAIN WILL TRANSITION TO A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION ON TUESDAY EVENING AND CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE WEDNESDAY.

* MAIN IMPACT: SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 INCHES OR GREATER... MAINLY BETWEEN WEDNESDAY EVENING AND MID DAY THURSDAY.

* OTHER IMPACTS: SMALL ICE ACCUMULATIONS DUE TO SLEET AND LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ON TUESDAY EVENING AND WEDNESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW... SLEET... OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

More Information

... A LATE SEASON WINTER STORM TO AFFECT WEST AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...

.A SINGLE STORM SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE A COUPLE ROUNDS OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION FROM TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA FROM EARLY TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY. SLEET OR RAIN WILL ALSO MIX IN AT TIMES THROUGH THURSDAY.

THE WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION WILL EXPAND EASTWARD LATE TUESDAY... REACHING EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA BY TUESDAY NIGHT. WHILE SNOW WILL BE THE PRIMARY PRECIPITATION TYPE ACROSS FAR WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA... LOCATIONS TO THE SOUTH AND EAST WILL LIKELY ENDURE A MIX OF SNOW... SLEET... AND RAIN. EVENTUALLY NEARLY ALL OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA CAN EXPECT A CHANGE OVER TO SNOW BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THIS COULD LEAD TO SEVERAL INCHES OF SLUSHY SNOW ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA BY THE TIME THE SNOW DIMINISHES ON THURSDAY.

 

 


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