835
FXUS63 KMPX 131734
AFDMPX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1234 PM CDT FRI MAR 13 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES THIS MORNING WITH WINDS GUSTING AS
HIGH AS 55-65MPH THIS MORNING. WINDS TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO
EAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY WITH THE WARNING EXPIRING AT 10AM.
- LINGERING LIGHT SNOW COMBINED WITH WINDS COULD REDUCE
VISIBILITY THIS MORNING WITH LIMITED ACCUMULATION EXPECTED.
- POWERFUL WINTER STORM MOVES IN THIS WEEKEND WITH SIGNIFICANT
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS CREATING DANGEROUS TO IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL
SATURDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS EXCEEDING
12-18'' POSSIBLE ACROSS A SIGNIFICANT SWATH OF MINNESOTA
THROUGH NORTHERN MICHIGAN. WINTER STORM WATCH EXPANDED TO THE
ENTIRE MPX CWA WITH WINTER STORM WARNINGS ALMOST CERTAIN AND
BLIZZARD WARNINGS POSSIBLE (FAVORING SOUTHERN MN).
DISCUSSION
ISSUED AT 256 AM CDT FRI MAR 13 2026
TODAY...
06Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS THE 990MB LOW DIRECTLY OVER CENTRAL
MINNESOTA WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE SIGNIFICANT WINDS ACROSS THE
AREA OVERNIGHT AND THIS MORNING IN ADDITION TO SOME LINGERING
PRECIPITATION. WINDS HAVE FREQUENTLY GUSTED TO 55-65MPH ALL THE WAY
FROM WESTERN MINNESOTA THROUGH THE TWIN CITIES WHICH SHOULD CONTINUE
INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING AS WINDS SLOWLY BEGIN TO
DIMINISH FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER RAPIDLY
PROGRESSES TOWARDS LAKE MICHIGAN BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. WRAP AROUND
PRECIPITATION SHOULD BE ENDING SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE FOR ALL BUT
WESTERN WI, WITH WINDS DWINDLING TO LESS THAN 10MPH WITH NO MORE
GUSTING LATER THIS EVENING. THE HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT
THROUGH 7AM FOR WESTERN MINNESOTA AND 10AM FOR THE REST OF THE AREA,
WITH GUSTS EXCEEDING 45MPH ENDING ROUGHLY BY THIS TIME WINDOW.
TEMPERATURES ARE DROPPING TO NEAR FREEZING AS THE LAST OF THE LIGHT
PRECIPITATION FALLS, HOWEVER THE GUSTY WINDS ON TOP OF LINGERING
WARM GROUND TEMPERATURES SHOULD KEEP ICY CONDITIONS TO A MINIMUM
ESPECIALLY ON ANY TREATED SURFACES THIS MORNING. THE REST OF THE DAY
AND TONIGHT WILL SEE BRIEF HIGH PRESSURE RETURN BEFORE OUR LOOMING
POTENT WINTER STORM ENTERS THE REGION.
THIS WEEKEND...
THE EARLY ONSET OF OUR POTENT WINTER STORM WILL BE DEVELOPING
OVER THE PACIFIC NW LATER THIS EVENING, WITH A DEFINED AREA OF
LOW PRESSURE BECOMING ORGANIZED OVER THE MOUNTAINS EARLY
SATURDAY AS A LONGWAVE TROUGH STRETCHES ACROSS THE NORTHERN
CONUS. THE UPPER LEVEL JET PEAKS AT AROUND 150-160KTS AND
STRETCHES FROM NORTHERN IDAHO/MONTANA ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE
GREAT LAKES AND INTO THE EASTERN CANADIAN ISLANDS, PAVING THE
WAY FOR THE LOW TO TRACK ACROSS THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE JET
RIDING THE POTENT FORCING FROM THE UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE REGION
OF THE RIGHT ENTRANCE OF THE JET. PRECIPITATION WILL BEGIN IN
WESTERN MINNESOTA AS EARLY AS SUNRISE ON SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE
LOW DEVELOPS AND STRETCHES A BROAD BAROCLINIC ZONE ACROSS THE
AREA, AND AS THE SURFACE SYSTEM DEVELOPS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
BEGINS TO AMPLIFY AND TAKE ON A NEGATIVE TILT. SIGNIFICANT
STRENGTHENING OF THE TROUGH AND SURFACE LOW WILL TAKE PLACE FROM
SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY MORNING WITH ALREADY
IMPRESSIVE SNOWFALL RATES EXPECTED BY SATURDAY EVENING ONLY
CONTINUING TO INTENSIFY INTO SUNDAY MORNING WITH THE PEAK
INTENSITY FOR THE LOCAL AREA LIKELY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT TO NOON ON
SUNDAY. SNOWFALL RATES COULD RANGE FROM 2-3''/HR DURING THE PEAK
INTENSITY SUNDAY MORNING WITH DANGEROUS TO IMPOSSIBLE TRAVEL
EXPECTED WITH NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY AT TIMES DUE TO THE SHEER
INTENSITY OF SNOWFALL. AFTER MIDDAY SUNDAY, THE EXTREMELY
AMPLIFIED LEADING EDGE OF THE TROUGH WILL BE MOVING EASTWARDS
TOWARDS CENTRAL WI TO NORTHERN MICHIGAN, WITH ANTICYCLONIC
VORTICITY ADVECTION AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE RAPIDLY FOLLOWING
ON THE HEELS OF THE MOST INTENSE PRECIPITATION TO THE POINT
WHERE SNOWFALL WILL ABRUPTLY END MONDAY MORNING WITH LINGERING
BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE DUE TO INCREASING WINDS.
GUIDANCE HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE BOTH THE AREAL FOOTPRINT OF
SNOWFALL AND ALSO AMOUNTS AS QPF CONTINUES TO CLIMB AS GUIDANCE
TRIES TO RESOLVE SEPARATE MOISTURE SOURCES FROM THE PAC NW AND GULF,
WITH OVERALL QPF AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 1.25-1.5'' FOR MUCH OF THE AREA.
THERE WILL BE A GRADIENT OF PRECIPITATION AND THEREFORE SNOWFALL
WITH LOWER AMOUNTS IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA INCREASING FOR SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA, WITH THE OVERALL HIGHEST AMOUNTS GENERALLY EXPECTED FROM
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA THROUGH NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND INTO THE UP. SNOW
RATIOS ARE GOING TO BE A BIT TRICKY WITH THIS EVENT, AS WE KNOW
LOCALLY THAT SYSTEMS CONTAINING THIS MUCH MOISTURE OFTEN STRUGGLE TO
PRODUCE SNOW RATIOS EXCEEDING 10 TO 1, BUT EVEN WITH THIS FACTORED
IN THERE WILL BE A LARGE AREA FROM SOUTHERN MN THROUGH WESTERN WI OF
AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF 12-18'' WITH 20''+ AMOUNTS POSSIBLE FOR MAINLY
EASTERN MN AND WESTERN WI. WINDS WILL BE INCREASING ESPECIALLY
TOWARDS THE LATER PART OF SUNDAY WHICH COULD SLIGHTLY DIMINISH SNOW
AMOUNTS, HOWEVER THIS SEEMS MOST LIKELY FOR SOUTHWEST TO SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA WHERE THE OVERALL STRONGEST GUSTS OF AROUND 30-35MPH ARE
EXPECTED. NO MATTER WHICH SUITE OF GUIDANCE YOU TRY TO LOOK AT THE
ENSEMBLE PERCENTILES AND PROBABILITIES ARE ABSURD WITH CHANCES OF 6+
INCHES (10:1 SNOW RATIO) AT 90-100% ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA AND 12+
OF 70-80% OVER EASTERN MINNESOTA INTO WESTERN WI.
GIVEN THE OVERALL FORECAST TREND OF INCREASING QPF AND SNOW AMOUNTS
AND THE OVERALL POWERFUL DYNAMICS OF THE APPROACHING SYSTEM, WE HAVE
EXPANDED THE WINTER STORM WATCH TO THE REST OF THE MPX CWA WITH THE
ONLY REAL HEADLINE QUESTION BEING IF WE WILL END UP NEEDING BLIZZARD
WARNINGS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SUNDAY WITH WINTER STORM WARNINGS ALL
BUT A CERTAINTY AT THIS POINT. THE BOTTOM LINE NO MATTER WHAT
HEADLINE ENDS UP BEING ISSUED IS THAT TRAVEL WILL BE NEXT TO
IMPOSSIBLE ON SUNDAY AS SNOW CONTINUES TO PILE UP, WITH OUR
RECOMMENDATION BEING TO AVOID TRAVEL WITHIN THE REGION IF AT ALL
POSSIBLE DURING THIS WINDOW. RECOVERY EFFORTS MAY BE SLOW DUE TO THE
AMOUNT OF SNOW, WHICH COULD BLEED INTO MONDAY MORNING AND BEYOND AS
TEMPERATURES WILL NOT REACH ABOVE FREEZING AGAIN UNTIL WEDNESDAY AT
THE EARLIEST. PLEASE CONSIDER ALTERING TRAVEL PLANS AND STAYING OFF
THE ROADS ON SUNDAY IF AT ALL POSSIBLE AND RIDING OUT THE STORM.
NEXT WEEK...
QUIET CONDITIONS RETURN BRIEFLY FOR THE REST OF MONDAY AND TUESDAY
WITH ANOTHER QUICK HIT OF AN INCH OR SO OF SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT INTO
WEDNESDAY, FOLLOWED BY TEMPERATURES ONCE AGAIN BECOMING MORE SPRING
LIKE BY NEXT WEEKEND WITH A LACK OF FURTHER SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
SYSTEMS FOR NOW.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY/
ISSUED AT 1226 PM CDT FRI MAR 13 2026
PATCHY MVFR CLOUD COVER CONTINUES TO SCATTER OUT ACROSS EASTERN
MINNESOTA & WESTERN WISCONSIN, WITH VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED
EVERYWHERE BY MID-AFTERNOON. NORTHWEST WIND GUSTS CONTINUE TO
DIMINISH, BUT WE'LL STILL SEE GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH AT TIME THIS
AFTERNOON, EVENTUALLY DROPPING TO 20-25 KTS BY LATE AFTERNOON &
THE GUSTS FINALLY DIMINISH BY SUNSET. WINDS DROP BELOW 5 KTS
AFTER SUNSET & GRADUALLY PIVOT TO NORTHEASTERLY & THEN
SOUTHEASTERLY THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. SOUTHEAST WINDS
BETWEEN 5-10 KTS TOMORROW AFTERNOON.
A BAND OF LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
TOMORROW AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA, MIGRATING
NORTHWARDS INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON.
IMPACTS FROM THE WELL-ADVERTISED MAJOR WINTER STORM BEGIN
SATURDAY EVENING.
KMSP...WIND GUSTS OF 30-35 MPH TO START THE AFTERNOON DROP TO
20-25 KTS BY MID AFTERNOON. WINDS DROP AFTER SUNSET & PIVOT TO
NORTHEASTERLY OVERNIGHT. A BAND OF MVFR SNOW IS POSSIBLE FOR
A A FEW HOURS TOMORROW AFTERNOON, BEFORE THE MAJOR WINTER STORM
ARRIVES TOMORROW EVENING.
/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
SUN...LIFR/+SN. WIND NE 15-20G25-40KTS.
MON...CHANCE AM IFR BLSN. WIND NW 10-15 G30KTS.
TUE...VFR. WIND NW TO S 5KTS.
MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MN...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 PM SATURDAY TO 7 PM CDT SUNDAY
FOR BENTON-CHISAGO-DOUGLAS-ISANTI-KANABEC-MILLE LACS-
MORRISON-TODD.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY FOR
CHIPPEWA-KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-POPE-REDWOOD-RENVILLE-
STEVENS-SWIFT-YELLOW MEDICINE.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY FOR
ANOKA-BLUE EARTH-BROWN-CARVER-DAKOTA-GOODHUE-HENNEPIN-LE
SUEUR-MCLEOD-MEEKER-NICOLLET-RAMSEY-RICE-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-
SIBLEY-STEARNS-STEELE-WASECA-WASHINGTON-WATONWAN-WRIGHT.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 AM SUNDAY TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY FOR
FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-MARTIN.
WI...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY FOR
CHIPPEWA-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-PEPIN-PIERCE-ST. CROIX.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 PM SATURDAY TO 7 AM CDT MONDAY
FOR BARRON-POLK-RUSK.
DISCUSSION...TDH
AVIATION...ETA
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