BLIZZARD WARNING – Heavy Snow Band Dumps 20 Inches Near Rochester
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - It appears the heaviest snow band from this weekend's major winter storm fell just north of Rochester.
NO TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR ALL OF SE MINNESOTA
The latest snowfall totals (as of noon Sunday) reported by the National Weather Service indicate Zumbro Falls has already seen 20 inches of accumulation, and Reads Landing near Wabasha is reporting 20.5 inches of new snow. Some of the other extreme snowfall totals include 18 inches near the town of Dumfries, just east of Wabasha, and 17 inches in Lake City and Millville.
Sixteen inches of snow was reported in Pine Island, and Oronoco has seen about 14 inches of accumulation. In Rochester, the most recent snowfall reports range from around 10 inches to more than 13 inches, with higher accumulations in the northwest quadrant of the city.
The National Weather Service indicates that some additional snow is possible through the afternoon and tonight, with winds becoming even stronger this evening. The forecast calls for north winds gusting as high as 35 mph this afternoon, then increasing to around 45 mph tonight, which will continue to cause treacherous driving conditions.
Blizzard Warning
The blizzard warning for southeastern Minnesota is currently scheduled to remain in place through 7 AM Monday. Gusty winds are also forecast Monday, and blowing snow could continue to impact travel.
I-35 Closed
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has announced that Interstate 35 south of Albert Lea will be closed at 3 PM to coincide with the closure of the freeway in northern Iowa. MnDOT says that section of I-35 will remain closed until the Iowa Department of Transportation reopens the freeway to the south.
READ MORE: I-35 Closing in Albert Lea as Minnesota Issues No Travel Warning
No Travel Advised
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued a no travel advisory for nearly all of southeastern and south-central Minnesota. Major highways are covered by compacted snow and strong northwest winds continue to create dangerous travel conditions. The Steele County Sheriff's Office even issued a rare Civil Danger Morning, urging all nonessential personnel to stay off roads.
