Winter Storm Warning Issued for South-Central Minnesota; Up to 18 Inches of Snow Forecast
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for several Minnesota counties, warning of heavy snow, sleet, and wind gusts up to 45 mph starting Saturday evening.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Winter Storm Warning
- Affected area
- South-Central Minnesota
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Twin Cities
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in South-Central Minnesota.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN has issued a Winter Storm Warning for south-central Minnesota. The alert is in response to a powerful winter storm on track to bring extreme snow accumulations and gusty winds to the region.
Affected Areas
The warning covers the following Minnesota counties:
- Meeker
- McLeod
- Sibley
- Scott
- Dakota
- Brown
- Nicollet
- Le Sueur
- Rice
- Goodhue
- Watonwan
- Blue Earth
- Waseca
- Steele
What You Should Do
Residents are advised that travel could become very difficult to impossible. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. For the latest road conditions, call 5 1 1 or visit 511mn.org. Additionally, the heavy, wet nature of the snow may pose a health hazard for those shoveling and could lead to infrastructure damage or downed tree branches.
Expected Conditions
- Snow Accumulation: Total snow accumulations between 12 and 18 inches are expected.
- Sleet: Accumulations up to one-tenth of an inch.
- Wind: Northwest winds will increase to 35 to 45 mph on Sunday, creating periods of blizzard conditions and significantly reducing visibility due to blowing snow.
- Snow Quality: The snow will be wet and very heavy due to high water content.
Timeline
The Winter Storm Warning is effective from 7:00 PM Saturday, March 14, through 7:00 AM CDT Monday, March 16. The heaviest snow is expected to fall Saturday evening and overnight, with snowfall rates potentially reaching 2 inches per hour. Hazardous conditions are expected to impact the Monday morning commute.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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