Winter Storm Watch in effect for Monday night into Tuesday

 Winter Storm Watch in effect for Monday night into Tuesday

 Minnesota weather: Storm arriving Monday night, brings snow for some, ice for others

A significant winter storm is forecasted to move northeast from the inter-mountain west region and into the Plains on Monday, reaching Minnesota late Monday night and continuing through Tuesday. The arrival of the storm, accompanied by mild air, is expected to bring a variety of precipitation types to the FOX 9 viewing area, including a mix of snow and rain on Tuesday morning with the possibility of patchy freezing rain in the Twin Cities Metro, before transitioning to heavy, wet snow in the afternoon and remaining as snow into Tuesday evening. The Twin Cities Metro area is currently under a Winter Storm Warning from Monday afternoon through Tuesday night. Stay updated as the storm continues to evolve over the next 36 hours.

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Central and Southern Minnesota, effective from late Monday through Tuesday, as a storm system is expected to bring significant weather conditions to certain parts of the state. The storm will bring a high level of moisture and warmer air, potentially resulting in measurable snowfall, as well as the possibility of rain and freezing rain. The timing of the storm, as of Sunday morning, shows snow beginning to fall in Southern Minnesota during the mid morning and becoming more widespread later on Monday. Currently, the overnight hours present the most uncertainty, as temperatures hovering around freezing may lead to a mix of rain and freezing rain, potentially affecting snow accumulation.

Heavy snowfall is expected to occur from Southwest Minnesota and extend into Northern Wisconsin, with the heaviest snowfall occurring from late Monday into Tuesday. There is a chance of freezing rain and rain, particularly in Southern Minnesota, during the overnight hours on Monday and Tuesday, as the impact of warmer air on the type of precipitation, such as rain versus freezing rain, and on snow and ice accumulations remains uncertain. It is also currently unclear how far north the warmer air will reach. Most of the precipitation is expected to turn back into all snow as the system exits the region later on Tuesday. There are still questions about the specific areas that will experience only snow, a mix, or rain and freezing rain, and these questions will be answered as the system approaches.

Snow emergencies

As the storm approaches, several Minnesota counties have declared snow emergencies. The City of Le Sueur has announced a snow emergency starting on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 4:00 p.m., lasting until Jan. 5 at 4:00 p.m., or until further notice as indicated on the city website.