Winter Storm Watch Iowa, Minnesota | Effective 03/13/2026 03:44

...BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE THIS MORNING WITH A MAJOR WINTER STORM FOR LATER THIS WEEKEND... .Light snow, combined with increasing winds, could lead to blowing snow and travel impacts across northern into central Wisconsin this morning. These impacts lessen during the afternoon. A second winter storm could approach historic levels as a large band of 12 to 18 inches of snow falls across the region with localized amounts up to 24 inches. The main uncertainty in the forecast is exactly where this band sets up with the highest confidence currently between the Twin Cities and Rochester in southeast Minnesota and along and north of the I-94 corridor in western Wisconsin. There will be a relatively sharp gradient in snow amounts on the southern side of the snow band over northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. In addition to the heavy snow, winds increase Sunday afternoon into Monday morning, with gusts of 35 to 50 mph. These winds could lead to widespread blowing and drifting of snow and blizzard conditions, especially west of the Mississippi River. Regardless of exact snow amounts, expect widespread major travel impacts regionwide with some roads possibly becoming impassable. * WHAT...Blizzard conditions possible. Highest total snow accumulations between 12 and 18 inches with localized amounts approaching 24 inches possible. Lesser amounts of 6 to 12 inches of snow possible outside of this band. Winds could gust as high as 40 to 50 mph. A glaze of ice is also possible if the storm trends further north. * WHERE...Portions of north central and northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. * WHEN...From Saturday evening through Monday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Monday morning commute. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches.