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MPR News Staff
St. Paul, Minn.

Welcome back, winter: Your guide to the first storm of the season

New shovels await their first workout.
Newly purchased shovels await their first snowstorm.
Regina McCombs / MPR News

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Brace yourself, Minnesota. Winter is here — and the Polar Vortex is coming.

• Follow the storm on MPR News' winter weather live blog

The first snowstorm of the season is expected to be a doozy. "It appears we're still going to get a high impact snow event in the metro Monday into Tuesday morning that will impact roads and travel significantly," MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner says on the Updraft weather blog.

The Twin Cities and most of Minnesota are under a winter storm warning from 3 a.m. Monday until noon Tuesday. The National Weather Service warns that the storm will primarily impact travel most of the day Monday.

The National Weather Service said the snow was expected to start falling in western Minnesota late Sunday night and make driving difficult for the Monday morning commute in the Twin Cities. And it warned that the drive home Monday evening will be "severely impacted." The snowfall is forecast to be the most intense in the early afternoon in the metro area with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour. The Tuesday morning commute could also be difficult.

Welcome back to the winter commute

Snowy commutes: It's been a while. And MnDOT's Kevin Gutknecht says tomorrow morning's commute will very likely take a while. Plan ahead.

"Folks should plan ahead and look to see if they can maybe leave a little bit earlier for work, maybe take a different route," he said. "Certainly take their time."

Expect rush hour to be tough, as travelers remind themselves how to drive in the newly fallen snow. Gutknecht said he expects the heaviest snow, though, to fall just after that, beginning around 10 a.m.

"I expect that we will have pretty close to full crews out in the metro area," he said. "It just depends on how the snow comes in and what time it comes in and what the temperatures are like."

With that rapid midday buildup, he said commuters should expect the drive home to be even more of a challenge.

• MnDOT: Check conditions on your morning route

• MetroTransit: Check schedules, routes and delays

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is reminding drivers to stay off the roads, if conditions aren't conducive to travel.

Other tips: Leave extra space between cars, stay at least five lengths behind plows, keep your headlights on while it's snowing, don't use cruise control — and take your time.

• From the Department of Public Safety: Brush up on winter driving fundamentals

School delays and closings

St. Paul Public Schools announced over the weekend that schools are expected to be open Monday — at the regular time — but that parents and students should be ready for delayed buses. Minneapolis schools said the same.

• Check your district: St. Paul | Minneapolis

Long-term outlook

Huttner wrote Sunday night that Monday morning's snow will likely be heavy at times — possibly accumulating 1 to 2 inches per hour. The heavy snow paired with high winds could lead to power outages.

• Xcel Energy: Outages map

Andy Lahr, a meteorologist with the weather service office in Chanhassen, said this should be "the most significant fall storm since Halloween in 1991.''

Halloween blizzard
Remember the Halloween blizzard of 1991? Steve Dale's daughter Katy, then 10 years old, sits in a snowbank with the family dalmatian Rosy and some buried pumpkins in Bloomington, Minn.
Photo courtesy Steve Dale

• The Halloween blizzard of 1991: Do you remember?

Expect the storm's heaviest load to be dropped between Hinckley and the north metro area, with the possibility of lighter accumulation in the south metro if Monday brings drizzles along with it.

And don't forget to take the shovel to your sidewalks. Minneapolis handed down 741 fines for sidewalk-shoveling scofflaws last winter.

• Sign up for snow emergency notification: Minneapolis | St. Paul

The storm, as of Sunday night's projections, is expected to last through Tuesday afternoon.

Travel beyond Minnesota

Delta Air Lines issued a winter weather waiver, allowing travelers to avoid change fees if they reschedule flights that are scheduled for Monday to and from Minneapolis and Rochester in Minnesota, as well as Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Rebooked trips must begin no later than Wednesday, the airline said, or a fare difference may apply.

• MSP airport: All flights

• Trains: Amtrak alerts and notices | Northstar commuter line

• Bus: Jefferson Lines

The Associated Press contributed to this report.