Winter Storm Watch Issued For Parts Of Twin Cities Metro: MN Weather

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of the Twin Cities metro area and much of southern Minnesota from Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon, with the potential for 4 to 8 inches of snow and wind gusts up to 50 mph.

The watch covers Dakota, Blue Earth, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, Rice, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan, and Goodhue counties, including cities such as Mankato, Red Wing, Owatonna, and Albert Lea.

National Weather Service forecasters warn that blowing and drifting snow could reduce visibility to near zero, creating whiteout conditions that may make travel extremely dangerous. Winds combined with the weight of the snow could also bring down tree limbs and power lines, leading to scattered power outages.

The storm is expected to begin as rain Tuesday evening before transitioning to heavy snowfall overnight. The most intense conditions are forecast late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, potentially affecting the Wednesday commute with snow-covered, slippery roads.

Residents are urged to stay updated on the latest forecasts and prepare for severe winter weather.

Here's the full NWS forecast from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport:

Tonight: A 50 percent chance of rain, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tuesday: Rain. High near 48. Breezy, with an east southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night: Snow, possibly mixed with rain, becoming all snow after 2am. Patchy blowing snow after midnight. Low around 28. Blustery, with a north wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Wednesday: Snow, mainly before noon. Patchy blowing snow. High near 35. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 15 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 21. North northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 40. West southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 43. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 27. West wind around 10 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 48. West wind around 10 mph.