System drops heavy snow, zaps mild temps in northern Plains

This means icy roads will be possible Thursday morning. The last time Brainerd residents experienced a storm with snow totals similar to what’s expected was in April 2013, when 11 inches fell. Officials of Crow Wing Power reported 4,000 customers lost power Friday. This area will see the development of blizzard conditions by mid morning as northwest winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 55 miles per hour combine with heavy snow.

Overall, roads were covered with ice, snow and slush, and motorists were experiencing poor visibility, the State Patrol reported. The bulk of the snow accumulation will occur late tonight through midday on Friday.

The storm dropped accumulating snowfall across interior portions of the West on Wednesday and Wednesday night.

“Statewide though, the heavy snow stays to the northwest of the metro with a swath of 5 to 10” of snow from west central Minnesota into the North Country where local amounts could top a foot.

Colorado, Nebraska and South Dakota have already seen what this snowstorm can do, and now Minnesota is expecting the worst of it today with blizzard conditions.

However, snow was falling Wednesday night in Caribou, Bear Lake and Teton counties and snow remained in the forecast for all of East Idaho through Thursday afternoon. Winter Storm Warnings are hoisted when heavy snow in excess of six inches is expected.

High travel impacts. The combination of snow and wind will cause widespread blowing snow and will create hazardous driving conditions.

Highs will drop to the 30s Thursday and Friday with lows dropping to the 10s by Friday and Saturday mornings.

That’s a big change from earlier in the week.

The average high temperature for this time of year in Duluth is about 35 degrees; the average low is 22.

The unseasonably mild conditions of recent days is being ushered out by a jolt of wintry weather that’s expected to bring blizzards, freezing temperatures and high winds to Minnesota and surrounding states. Wind chills will be in the teens and 20s throughout the day with gradually clearing skies.

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