Issue date: 2026-04-01T18:08+00:00
...MESSY SPRING SYSTEM BRINGS FREEZING RAIN, SLEET, AND SNOWTO PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... .A powerful spring weather system will bring widespread precipitation to the region beginning tonight and lingering through Thursday, with areas of wet snow, freezing rain, sleet, and rain all expected depending on timing and location. Western and central Minnesota will experience mainly slushy wet snow with accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, meanwhile rain is favored in southern and southeastern Minnesota. In between the snow and rain, a messy wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain will result in ice accumulations and slippery travel. There is still a moderate degree of uncertainty regarding ice accumulation amounts, due to temperatures being very close to freezing and a fluctuation of only a degree or two likely having a large impact on final amounts. The greatest impacts from icing and freezing rain will occur over western Wisconsin and portions of east-central to southwestern Minnesota, with accumulations up to a quarter inch in Minnesota and a few tenths of an inch in Wisconsin. Power outages are possible due to icing of power lines in addition to gusty winds, and slippery to impossible travel will occur where ice accumulates. Slow travel from wet slushy snow is expected in western and central Minnesota. * WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up to one inch, sleet accumulations around one third of an inch, and ice accumulations between one tenth and one quarter of an inch. * WHERE...Barron, Polk, and Rusk Counties. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to noon CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the Thursday morning commute.
Issue date: 2026-04-01T08:11+00:00
...MESSY SPRING SYSTEM BRINGS FREEZING RAIN, SLEET, AND SNOWTO PORTIONS OF MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY... .A strong spring system brings a variety of precipitation types to the region tonight through Thursday. While there is still some uncertainty in the exact track of the low, mainly snow & sleet is expected across central Minnesota, while a mix of freezing rain, sleet, & snow is expected for southern Minnesota, the Twin Cities metro, & western Wisconsin. The greatest travel impacts are expected across eastern Minnesota & west-central Wisconsin where icing amounts around 0.25" are likely, along with sleet & snow at times. This will lead to very slick roads, as well as the possibility of some downed tree branches & power outages. Elsewhere, freezing rain accumulations around 0.1" along with an inch or two of sleet & snow will lead to slick roads late Wednesday night through Thursday morning. * WHAT...Mixed precipitation expected. Total snow accumulations up to one inch, sleet accumulations around 1 inch, and ice accumulations between one tenth and two tenths of an inch. * WHERE...Barron, Polk, and Rusk Counties. * WHEN...From midnight tonight to noon CDT Thursday. * IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road conditions. The hazardous conditions will impact the Wednesday evening and Thursday morning commutes.