Brandon Weatherz: Accumulating snow today

Expect accumulating snow to impact travel today. As of this morning, there has been a trend toward higher accumulation that reaches a bit further north.

Because of this, the Winter Weather Advisory has been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning for Cass, Crow Wing, South Itasca, North Aitkin, Carlton, and South St. Louis Co. Heavy snow has brought several inches of snow to western areas this morning, and these conditions will continue to extend east toward the Twin Ports.

A Winter Weather Advisory extends north across the Arrowhead and east across northwest Wisconsin. This lasts until 6 pm, along with the Winter Storm Warning for the Duluth area. The Advisory and Warning west of the Twin Ports go until 3 pm.

Widespread snow fills out the Northland from the west through the morning with snowfall rates near an inch per hour possible, allowing travel to become difficult in the morning. Snow weakens and tapers off from the west through the afternoon and evening. 3-6” is now expected form Grand Rapids to the Twin Ports and generally south of there. Locally higher amounts are possible here. Uncertainty continues in the northern extent of accumulation, but as much as 4” is possible as far north as the Iron Range. We fall to 1” looking along a line from Bigfork to Ely to Grand Marais.

Temps start off ranging from teens north to near 30 in northwest Wisconsin, and highs will stay in the same range as temps hold rather steady today. Clouds retreat from the west behind the snow tonight, allowing northern Minnesota to fall into minus single digits. Lows stay in single digits above zero for the Twin Ports and along the North Shore, and in the low teens in much of northwest Wisconsin. We trend warmer to end the week, with a stretch of highs consistently near and above freezing starting Friday and taking us through the start of next week. The next widespread chance for snow that might accumulate is Monday.

Today: Snowy and breezy. Steady temp near 25. NE wind 10-20 mph. Chance of snow: 100%. Accumulation of 3-6” expected.

Tonight: Chance for snow before 9 pm, then decreasing clouds. Low 8. N wind 5-10 mph. Chance of snow: 40%.

Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy. High 27. E wind 5-10 mph.

Tomorrow night: Partly cloudy. Low 14. S wind 2-8 mph.

Friday: Mostly cloudy. High 34. S wind 5-10 mph.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy with a slight chance for snow showers. High 34. W wind 5-10 mph. Chance of snow: 20%

Sunday: Mostly cloudy. High 36. W wind 5-10 mph.

Monday: Mostly cloudy and breezy with a chance for snow. High 34. NE wind 10-15 mph. Chance of snow: 40%.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy and breezy. High 31. NE wind 10-15 mph.