Watch CBS News

Overnight Snowfall Expected To Total 2 to 4 Inches, With Another Round Saturday

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- After an early round of President's Day precipitation this week, snow has returned and is starting to fall in the metro -- and we'll have two rounds of it before the weekend is over.

The temperatures will help MnDOT when it comes to clearing the roads. Since this will be wet, heavy snow, the pre-treatment should stick and help prevent bad icing.

The snowfall won't be heavy throughout its stay in the Twin Cities Thursday night, but it will continue to Friday morning, piling up precipitation totals to anywhere between three and five inches. The snow arriving Thursday evening is just the first wave, according to WCCO meteorologist Chris Shaffer, with plenty of moisture moving behind it from southeastern Minnesota.

snowfall totals
(credit: CBS)

The National Weather Service has issued a widespread winter weather advisory covering most of Minnesota. By 6 a.m., travel in most of the state will be difficult with slick, snowy roads by morning.

With the temperature at 30 degrees, Shaffer says, the snow will be wet and heavy -- which means it will be tough to shovel.

By 9:30 p.m. Thursday, the snowfall will be widespread across southern and central Minnesota. That storm will start to clear out in the southeastern part of the state by early morning Friday, moving out of the Twin Cities by the time most cars hit the road for rush hour, making for a dangerous and lengthy commute for most drivers.

The snowfall totals could be anywhere from two to four inches, Shaffer says, with a high of 31 degrees and sunshine in the forecast Friday. That should be a big help to MnDOT in clearing roadways by the time drivers head home Friday night.

But that's not the only snow this weekend -- another round is expected Saturday.

Snowfall should start sometime Saturday afternoon, and should start to taper off by early Sunday morning. It's too far out to accurately forecast precipitation totals for that storm, Shaffer says.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.