Multiple agencies across the state are partaking in an annual Minnesota tradition: preparing for the first winter storm.
That storm is slated to begin Tuesday night, with most radars pointing to anywhere between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m for south-central Minnesota. According to the National Weather Service, once the snow stops sometime Wednesday morning, area snowfall could total between 1 and 5 inches.
As the storm looms, many agencies across our area are preparing their winter weather response teams.
“We are ready for winter. We’re one of the best in the nation when it comes to winter response,” said Anne Meyer, communication manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Meyer said that crews were already on the road as early as Tuesday afternoon in the western portion of the state, and that as the storm moves into southern and central Minnesota, they’ll move with it.
They’re not the only ones preparing.
“Xcel Energy has additional crews available to address any outages. Crews respond to the largest outages first to get the most customers back online as soon as possible,” Xcel Energy said in a press release sent Tuesday.
The company has a link to report outages on their website.
Blue Earth County is also tracking the storm and its Public Works Department prepared.
“Our equipment and road maintenance supplies are ready for the upcoming winter season snow and ice control work. Our maintenance supervisors regularly monitor weather forecasts and radar,” the county said in a statement. “Forecasts of inclement weather drive decisions on timing to apply de-icing chemicals to roundabouts, hills and curves. Supervisors also perform early-morning road checks to assess conditions and determine when to begin plowing operations.”
Here’s the good news: Meyer said that, in many parts of the state, the snow isn’t likely to stick to the roads.
“What’s nice is we have a warm base, so there will be a lot of melting on contact,” she said. “Some areas of the state that get heavier amounts, especially through this evening between 4 and 6 inches, might see some snow on the roads.”
The storm comes as many people are preparing for holiday travel, and while there are some worries surrounding that, Meyer said most of the snowfall should wrap up by 7 a.m. Wednesday, which she notes isn’t “peak travel time.”
However along with fresh snow, strong winds with gusts around 45 mph are also expected. Those winds can cause visibility issues out on the road. Meyer said the best thing drivers can do for themselves now is get into winter driving mode.
“It’s been a little while here in Minnesota since we’ve needed to be in that mindset. Even last year wasn’t as bad as it could have been. … If you are traveling, slow down. … Keep some distance between yourself and other drivers. … As always, we’ve got 800 snowplows across the state. Give them plenty of space, let them clear a path for you,” Meyer said.
If you do need to be on the road, Meyer said MnDOT has some tools to keep you safer. Those include MnDOT’s 511 map, which can show road conditions and traffic impacts, as well as highway traffic cams and snowplow cams, which can help you “know before you go.”
There won’t be a lot of calm following this storm, as Meyer said MnDOT is already tracking another system that could hit the state sometime Saturday or Sunday. It’s too early right now to know too many details about that yet, but she verbalized the thought many Minnesotans have this time of year.
“Hopefully this is going to be an uneventful first round of winter.”