Winter Storm Warning Continues Through Midnight

(KNSI) — The National Weather Service says the snow will continue to fall, at least lightly, for much of the rest of the day Thursday.

As of 6:00 a.m., the official snowfall total for St. Cloud was just 1.1″, but the heaviest bands of snow were set to fall through about noon and into the early afternoon hours, with snowfall rates of a half inch to an inch an hour expected. By the time it’s all said and done early this evening, the area could see a swath of 5″ to 7″ of new accumulation.

Behind the snowfall, gusty northwest winds will pick up and howl at between 30 to 40 miles an hour. That may make for some dangerous travel, especially in the more open and rural areas where whiteout conditions are possible. Roads may also remain slick despite plow teams with the Minnesota Department of Transportation clearing them as quickly as they can.

Transportation officials say roughly 800 plows have been cleaning up the roads and laying down salt and sand all night. If a driver encounters a plow, they say to slow down and give it plenty of room to work. A snowplow typically requires around 200 feet of space behind it due to its size, potential for sudden stops, and reduced visibility.

A winter storm warning does remain in effect until midnight tonight, with several counties added Thursday morning.

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