Winter storm bringing heavy snow to northern Minn.; winds ramp up today

This winter storm isn’t over yet. It’ll continue to drop heavy snow in parts of northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin Sunday and Sunday evening.

The official Saturday night snow total at MSP airport was 1.1 inches. Some spots in the north metro, including Blaine and Champlin, reported 2 inches. I saw a tally of 3.7 inches in St. Cloud and 7 inches in Wadena and Crookston. A few totals over 8 inches are showing up in northwestern Minnesota and I notice a recent report of 11 inches from near Erskine, in Polk County of northwestern Minnesota.

Snowfall reports will be updated by the NWS here.

This is how the NWS snow map looked at 10 a.m. Sunday:

You can hover over any data point on the linked NWS snowfall map to see the location and time of the snow measurement. You can also slide the map to see snow reports in other parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

We may see some double-digit snow totals in northeastern Minnesota by Sunday night.

Many locations in Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin reported slippery spots on roads or snow-covered roads Sunday morning. Blowing snow will also reduce visibility today and tonight as winds ramp up. Updated Minnesota road conditions can be found here. Wisconsin road conditions can be found here.

Heaviest snow to the north today

The Twin Cities metro area could see occasional light snow showers or sprinkles today and this evening, but additional snow accumulation will be minimal in the metro area.

Snow will continue to accumulate in northern Minnesota and parts of central Minnesota plus much of Wisconsin today and this evening. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High-Resolution Rapid-Refresh (HRRR) model shows the potential precipitation pattern from noon Sunday to 6 a.m. Monday:

NOAA’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows a similar precipitation pattern.

Notice the tight spacing of the isobars today and tonight, which indicates strong winds.

Parts of northwestern and north-central Minnesota will see a few more inches of snow today, but additional snow amounts will be highest in northeastern Minnesota:

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the Minnesota Public Radio News network, and you can see updated weather info on the MPR News live weather blog.

Warnings and advisories

Winter storm warnings continue this Sunday and Sunday evening across northwestern Minnesota, with adjoining winter weather advisories:

Here are details of the winter storm warning in northwestern Minnesota:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Grand Forks ND 331 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 MNZ005-006-008-009-013>017-022>024-027-028-032-060600- /O.CON.KFGF.WS.W.0003.000000T0000Z-211206T0600Z/ Roseau-Lake Of The Woods-East Marshall-North Beltrami-Pennington- Red Lake-East Polk-North Clearwater-South Beltrami-Mahnomen- South Clearwater-Hubbard-West Becker-East Becker-Wadena- Including the cities of Roseau, Warroad, Greenbush, Baudette, Newfolden, Middle River, Grygla, Red Lake, Redby, Ponemah, Thief River Falls, Red Lake Falls, Fosston, Fertile, McIntosh, Erskine, Bagley, Clearbrook, Bemidji, Mahnomen, Naytahwaush, Waubun, Alida, Ebro, Lake Itasca, Long Lost Lake, Lower Rice Lake, Roy Lake, Upper Rice Lake, Park Rapids, Detroit Lakes, Wolf Lake, Wadena, and Menahga 331 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT... * WHAT...Heavy snow. Total snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 to 45 mph this afternoon and evening will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow. * WHERE...Portions of central, north central and northwest Minnesota. * WHEN...Until midnight CST tonight. * IMPACTS...Travel will be slow this morning. There may be a lull in activity early this afternoon, before the windy period begins. Areas of blowing and drifting snow will significantly reduce the visibility this afternoon and evening. Cold wind chills as low as 20 below zero late tonight could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for North Dakota can be found at dot.nd.gov/travel and for Minnesota at 511mn.org, or by calling 5 1 1 in either state.

Winter storm warnings continue Sunday and overnight Sunday night in northeastern Minnesota and parts of northwestern Wisconsin:

Here are details of the blizzard warning for portions of Cook County that will continue this afternoon and overnight:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Duluth MN 903 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 MNZ021-060315- /O.CON.KDLH.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-211206T1200Z/ Southern Cook- Including the city of Grand Marais 903 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 ...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST MONDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Total snow accumulations of 10 to 16 inches. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph. * WHERE...Southern Cook County. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Grand Portage Reservation. * WHEN...Until 6 AM CST Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Road conditions can also be found at 511mn.org for Minnesota or 511wi.gov for Wisconsin.

Here are details of the winter storm warning in the remainder of northeastern Minnesota today and tonight:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Duluth MN 903 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 MNZ010-011-018-019-025-026-035-060315- /O.CON.KDLH.WS.W.0005.000000T0000Z-211206T1200Z/ Koochiching-North St. Louis-North Itasca-Central St. Louis- North Cass-South Itasca-Northern Aitkin- Including the cities of International Falls, Ely, Bigfork, Hibbing, Walker, Grand Rapids, and Hill City 903 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 ...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST MONDAY... * WHAT...Heavy snow. Additional snow accumulations of 5 to 9 inches, except 9 to 15 inches for the higher terrain of the North Shore. Winds gusting as high as 35 mph. * WHERE...South Itasca, North Cass, Koochiching, North St. Louis, North Itasca, Central St. Louis and Northern Aitkin Counties. This includes the Tribal Lands of the Mille Lacs Band, Big Sandy Lake area and the Bois Forte Band, Deer Creek, Lake Vermilion and, Nett Lake areas. * WHEN...Until 6 AM CST Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The cold wind chills as low as 20 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Road conditions can also be found at 511mn.org for Minnesota or 511wi.gov for Wisconsin.

We’ve already seen very gusty winds this morning, and winds will ramp up this afternoon and evening. A wind advisory starts at 3 p.m. in west-central and southwestern Minnesota, and at 6 p.m. in eastern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities:

Here are details of the wind advisory that includes the Twin Cities Sunday evening and overnight:

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 312 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 MNZ042>045-049>053-057>063-065>070-074>078-082>085-091>093-051715- /O.NEW.KMPX.WI.Y.0011.211206T0000Z-211206T1300Z/ Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stearns-Benton-Sherburne-Isanti- Chisago-Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington- Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-Brown-Nicollet- Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-Waseca-Steele-Martin- Faribault-Freeborn- Including the cities of Long Prairie, Little Falls, Princeton, Mora, St Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Cambridge, Center City, Willmar, Litchfield, Monticello, Minneapolis, Blaine, St Paul, Stillwater, Olivia, Hutchinson, Gaylord, Chanhassen, Chaska, Victoria, Shakopee, Hastings, New Ulm, St Peter, Le Sueur, Faribault, Red Wing, St James, Mankato, Waseca, Owatonna, Fairmont, Blue Earth, and Albert Lea 312 AM CST Sun Dec 5 2021 ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM CST MONDAY... * WHAT...Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph expected. * WHERE...Portions of central, east central, south central and southeast Minnesota. * WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to 7 AM CST Monday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Strong winds and rapidly falling temperatures will also lead to wind chills 10 to 20 degrees below zero early Monday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.

Temps plummet Sunday night, then arctic chill on Monday

A cold front will deliver much colder temps Sunday night. I recommend that you shovel your sidewalk or driveway Sunday afternoon. Whatever slush or water that is left there overnight will flash freeze as temps plummet.

Single-digit daytime highs are expected Monday in northern Minnesota, with mainly teens in the south. Our Twin Cities metro area will have a Monday high in the upper 20s around 1 a.m., followed by falling temps. Metro area highs during the daylight hours of Monday are expected to be in the low to mid teens.

Your warmest coat, gloves and hat will feel good Monday morning. Look at these Monday morning wind chills:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the lower 20s Tuesday, then around 30 Wednesday followed by upper 30s Thursday and mid 30s on Friday.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.