Winter storm and blizzard warnings issued around state in advance of snowy weather Wednesday

KSTP

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Minnesotans dreaming of a white Christmas, get excited: snow appears to be on the way.

KSTP Meteorologist Wren Clair says much of the state, including the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin, are expected to have accumulating snowfall on Wednesday.

In the metro area, between three and six inches of snow is possible with higher totals more likely north of Interstate 94. The southeastern metro counties are more likely to receive one to three inches of snowfall, Clair says.

See the latest forecast at KSTP.com

Blizzard warnings have been issued for Carver, Le Sueur, McLeod, Nicollet, Sherburne, Sibley and Wright Counties. A blizzard warning indicates that blizzard conditions are expected. Snow in those counties could range from five to eight inches and wind gusts may hit 55 mph.

Winter storm warnings have been issued for Dakota, Washington, Anoka, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey and Scott Counties.

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Precipitation will start as drizzle and rain before transitioning to snow. Snowfall is expected during the mid to late morning and afternoon hours, some may fall throughout the evening as well, according to Clair.

Along with the snow comes cold temperatures. Clair says Wednesday’s high will actually be in the upper 30s right after midnight with temperatures falling throughout the day.

Clair warns that slick roadways and blowing snow will be possible in many areas, making for dangerous driving conditions on Wednesday. The extreme cold will also means road salt won’t work optimally, so drivers should be cautious.

Thursday will be cold and windy with a high temperature in the single-digits. The wind chill Thursday will make it feel like 20 degrees below-zero most of the day, Clair says.

As for Christmas Day and the weekend, temperatures will rebound a bit to the 20s.