ST. PAUL — Snowstorms are expected to continue in Minnesota on Thursday, Oct. 22, in what looks to be a one-two-punch of a winter storm in autumn.
West-central and central Minnesota will likely bear the brunt of the weather, for which the National Weather Service Twin Cities office has issued a winter weather warning beginning Wednesday evening, Oct. 21. Between 5 to 8 inches of snow may fall in those parts of the state.
Slightly better weather is forecast in the Twin Cities area for Thursday, where 8 inches had already fallen by Wednesday morning in an event that broke the record for the heaviest snowstorm so early in the season, according to the weather service. It was the second heaviest one-day snowfall total ever recorded in the cities, behind only the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991.
Some precipitation is expected in the metro and in southern Minnesota early on Thursday, as well as in parts of western Wisconsin, but temperatures are expected to rise above freezing before it continues in the afternoon. Minor snow accumulations may occur.
A winter storm advisory, meanwhile, will also go into effect Wednesday night for parts of the state just north and south of where the more serious storm warning has been issued. Municipalities affected by the warning include Alexandria, Brainerd and Duluth. Approximately 6 inches of snow had already fallen on both Brainerd and Duluth by Wednesday morning, according to weather service reports.
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Municipalities affected by the advisory include: Moorhead, where approximately 4 inches of snow fell by Wednesday; Grand Rapids, where approximately 3.5 inches fell; Virginia, where 3.5 inches fell; Grand Marais, where 2.3 inches fell; Redwood Falls, where 6.5 inches fell and St. Cloud, where 7 inches fell.
Pipestone, Madison, Willmar and Hinckley will also be under the advisory.
The weather service forecasts that snow will begin in southern Minnesota on Wednesday night and could turn to sleet or freezing rain before moving toward central Minnesota, where it will continue to fall Thursday. Motorists are advised to avoid travel if possible and encouraged to bring emergency kits with them, according to a weather service report.
