Blizzard warnings set for southern Minnesota; snow mostly south of Twin Cities
Heavy snow, high winds Wednesday in southern Minnesota
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Call it a near-miss for the Twin Cities. Or as comedian George Carlin once said, a near-hit.
Tuesday afternoon forecast model trends continue the southward storm track shift that developed overnight into Tuesday morning.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations’ 18Z High-Resolution Rapid Refresh model shows the snow zone across southern Minnesota and just brushing the far southeastern Twin Cities:
Predicted snowfall totals have been adjusted accordingly southward:
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Blizzard warnings cover much of southern Minnesota south of the Twin Cities Wednesday. Travel along Interstate 90, Interstate 35 or Interstate 94 south and east of the Twin Cities will be difficult to impossible at times Wednesday.
Here’s the Twin Cities National Weather Service outlook:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 127 PM CDT Tue Mar 18 2025
...HEAVIEST SNOW SHIFTING SOUTH WITH WINTER STORM... .
The narrow band of heavier snow has shifted south, and the gradient has tightened up. As a result, areas across central Minnesota will see less snow, so the Blizzard Warning was replaced with a Winter Weather Advisory for Le Sueur, Nicollet, Brown, Watonwan, Rice, and Goodue counties. Areas to the south and east of those counties have a higher chance of seeing whiteout conditions from heavy snow and strong wind, so a blizzard warning remains in effect for those locations. In Pepin and Eau Claire Counties, the Winter Storm Watch was replaced with a Winter Storm Warning.
As for timing, snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour will develop Wednesday morning and last into early Wednesday afternoon. Northwest winds of 30 to 40 mph will accompany the snow, with occasional gusts near 45 mph along I-90.
Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn- Including the cities of Owatonna, Fairmont, Blue Earth, Waseca, and Albert Lea
127 PM CDT Tue Mar 18 2025
...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 7 PM CDT WEDNESDAY...
* WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations between 4 and 8 inches and north winds gusting 35 to 45 mph.
* WHERE...Faribault, Freeborn, Martin, Steele, and Waseca Counties.
* WHEN...From 5 AM to 7 PM CDT Wednesday.
* IMPACTS...Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. Travel could be very difficult. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.
Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour are likely across the heavy snow zone. Thunder snow is also possible.
Temperatures Wednesday will hover in the 30s with gusty northeast winds.
Our weather will improve Thursday through Saturday with sunshine and milder temperatures.
A chance of light rain or snow arrives Sunday in the south. Northern Minnesota could see significant snowfall Sunday.
Stay tuned.