Severe weather

A massive snowstorm, which could be one of the largest that Minnesota has seen in several years, is barreling toward the Twin Cities.A Winter Storm Warning will go into effect Saturday afternoon. It’s expected to be a rare event for the state, as snowfall could total between 12 to 18 inches in the Twin Cities region and central Minnesota into western Wisconsin, National Weather Service Meteorologist Brennan Dettmann said.Snow is expected to start across western Minnesota after noon on Saturday, spreading east toward the Twin Cities by 5 or 6 p.m. By about midnight, heavy snow will fall at rates of one to two inches per hour, and continue through Sunday morning.Delta Air Lines, the dominant carrier at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, had canceled hundreds of flights this weekend in the Midwest.Meteorologists are cautioning against people driving due to the heavy snowfall, low visibility and likelihood of snow drifts with winds blowing 30 to 40 mph. Dettmann said the storm should wane Sunday afternoon, but blowing snow and difficulty clearing roads will make driving conditions more dangerous.
“I wouldn’t dream of driving tomorrow,” Minnesota Star Tribune Chief Meteorologist Paul Douglas said. “There’s a pretty good chance this could wind up being a top 10 snowstorm for the Twin CitiesDouglas said the storm won’t be a typical March snowfall, when heavy slush changes over to rain and ice. With temperatures in the 20s, he said the storm should feel more like a snowfall Minnesota would see in February.He said the Twin Cities hasn’t seen 15 inches or more of snow for 27 years. The region got 16 inches of snow in March 1999.
Dettmann said the Twin Cities’ biggest March snowstorm was in 1985 with a record 16.7 inches.By the middle of next week, Dettmann said temperatures will start warming up, so snow is likely to melt, but that could take some time considering the large amount expected to fall.