Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Lead storm wave dumps 3" to 6" of snow in most areas

Expect a break in the snow, then lighter snow overnight through Wednesday.

Snowfall in Victoria
Snowfall in Victoria Tuesday.
Paul Huttner/MPR News

Our latest intense winter weather event has delivered wintry weather on schedule this Tuesday.

The storm’s lead wave brought an icy mix to much of southern Minnesota, and a burst of heavy snow from the Twin Cities across most of southwest and central Minnesota. Parts of South Dakota near Sioux Falls have already received almost 2 feet of snow. Parts of southern Minnesota are reporting significant ice accumulations.

Here are some snowfall reports from around the Twin Cities area as of mid-afternoon Tuesday.

Here are some additional snow and ice reports from around our region.

  • 2 N Lake Andes [Charles Mix Co, SD] TRAINED SPOTTER reports HEAVY SNOW of 25.00 INCH at 12:12 PM CST -- TOTAL SNOWFALL THROUGH NOON, STILL SNOWING.

  • 2 NE Crooks [Minnehaha Co, SD] PUBLIC reports HEAVY SNOW of 22.00 INCH at 10:30 AM CST --Alexandria [Hanson Co, SD] PUBLIC reports HEAVY SNOW of 20.00 INCH at 10:45 AM CST --

  • Hutchinson [Mcleod Co, MN] PUBLIC reports SNO2 SW Hopkins [Hennepin Co, MN] NWS EMPLOYEE reports SNOW of 5.20 INCH at 2:15 PM CST --W of 5.60 INCH at 2:00 PM CST --

  • 3 WNW Mendota Heights [Ramsey Co, MN] PUBLIC reports SNOW of 4.90 INCH at 2:20 PM CST --

  • Woodbury [Washington Co, MN] PUBLIC reports SNOW of 4.00 INCH at 2:00 PM CST --

  • 3 NNW Rochester [Olmsted Co, MN] PUBLIC reports FREEZING RAIN of 0.25 INCH at 12:00 PM CST -- PUBLIC REPORT VIA KAAL TV.

  • Lewiston [Winona Co, MN] PUBLIC reports FREEZING RAIN of 0.20 INCH at 12:00 PM CST -- PUBLIC REPORT VIA KAAL TV.

A lull in snowfall

The intense lead band of snowfall has ended for most of the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota.

Expect a lull in snowfall into the evening hours. But a wide area of light to moderate snowfall will redevelop overnight and continues through most of Wednesday.

NOAA’s NAM 3 km model shows the trend.

Additional snowfall through Wednesday

As snowfall resumes overnight, it will linger through Wednesday. Snowfall rates will be mostly light to moderate, but the longer duration of snowfall through Wednesday will produce another 3 to 6 inches of snow in many areas by Thursday morning.

additional snowfall
Additional snowfall through Wednesday.
Twin Cities National Weather Service

The two phases of this storm system will produce over a foot of snow in southwest Minnesota. Much of the Twin Cities will end up with 6 to 10 inches of snowfall. But we could see some local one-foot totals in the greater Twin Cities by Thursday.

Expect difficult travel conditions through Wednesday night into Thursday morning.