Minnesota preparing for March winter storm, impacts already felt
Minnesotans are preparing for a winter wallop. There have been no big changes to the forecast overnight. Everything remains on track for Minnesota's major winter storm, with major impacts from Saturday evening through Sunday.
The state will be dry for most of the day Saturday, but snow picks up in coverage and intensity, mainly after 7 p.m., with the heaviest after midnight, with 1 to 3 inches per hour snowfall rates.
Snow Emergencies
The city of St. Louis Park is issuing a snow emergency starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. The city says the snow emergency may stay in effect longer due to the large amounts of snow expected.
During a press conference on Saturday, both Mayors Kaohly Her and Jacob Frey announced snow emergencies. The emergencies will go into effect at 9 p.m. on Sunday, but residents of both cities are encouraged to move their cars on Saturday.
Minneapolis has opened up a parking lot at the Salvation Army and the parking lot at the farmers market. Parking at these locations will be free for residents until Wednesday at 8 p.m. Starting Sunday, Parking Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis will also be open and residents will only need to pay $1.
St. Paul will open up the block 19 ramp in downtown St. Paul, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, for free parking for St. Paul residents. The city will also open some St. Paul park lots as they become available and recommend residents check the city's website. St. Paul officials also said that due to the snow, there will be no garbage pickup Monday.
City officials address incoming storm
"Our snowplow drivers are in the starting blocks and are ready to go," said Frey. "For them this is the Super Bowl. They've been preparing for this kind of snow event all year, and I can tell you we're going to have every single one of them out."
Snowplows will start plowing on Saturday night. St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw said plows will be out all night Saturday and all day Sunday.
"Please don't be out on the roads this evening after midnight," said Kershaw during a press conference Saturday. "Please move your cars, keep them off the roads entirely."
"The Twin Cities have shown how we come together to support our neighbors," said Kershaw. "It's going to be very cold on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, so please look out for your neighbors in terms of clearing sidewalks and making sure those pedestrian paths are available."
Gov. Walz Authorizes Minnesota National Guard
Governor Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard on Friday, ahead of the storm.
"Despite recent Spring weather, Minnesotans know that a March snowstorm is never out of the question," said Walz. "As we brace for this potentially dangerous round of winter weather, I am grateful to our National Guard for stepping in to keep Minnesotans safe."
As of Saturday, the national have four armories in the south and metro area of the state — Owatonna, Redwood Falls, Fairmont and Albert Lea.
"We have armories all around the state all around the state, and that allows us to be able to respond pretty quickly in times like this," said Colonel John McCrae, Director of Operations for the Minnesota National Guard. "So those are the four armories that, based on the local need. I would note that those four armories, we have vehicles that are called SUSVs and that is a tracked vehicle that is able to operate in snow and ice conditions."
"We're your friends and neighbors," said McCrae. "We want Minnesotans to be safe. You know, we care about the community, and we want Minnesotans to be safe, and we want to be a part of that effort to keep you safe, so we're happy to help."
Tech Companies Preparing
Several tech companies are preparing for the coming storm.
"Verizon's network is built with redundancies for situations exactly like this weekend. So, whether it's a power outage, all of our networks, all of our cell sites are built with backup battery systems," said Matt Weller with Verizon.
"For folks that are trying to be prepared, make sure that the smartphone is fully charged in advance," said Weller. "Investing in a portable power bank to make sure your device remains powered up for emergency contacts and accessing alerts. It's also really important that you have those alerts set up in advance, so that when you're going to get that up-to-date information right when you need it."
MSP Impact
At Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport, it's the last call before the storm. As of Saturday afternoon, 53 departure flights from MSP have been canceled and 58 have been delayed.
"Absolute mayhem, if you ask me," said Wyatt Chartiar of Minnetonka. "I've never seen the line this long."
"Saw the storm coming to Minnesota—a little nervous about flights getting back for that. Luckily enough we got on one before things shut down," said Jayden Olmstead from Moorhead.
Michelle Sheridan was supposed to travel to Europe.
"On Wednesday, we were supposed to fly from Des Moines to Amsterdam. Our flight was so delayed that we wouldn't make our connection," said Sheridan.
"We are not going to Paris today—and with the storm coming in, they're not sure when we can rebook. Our European travels are done. It's just, it's very disappointing."
Emergency Car Kit
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety recommends checking road conditions and having an emergency car kit if you have to travel.
Below is a list of items to include in your car's emergency kit this winter:
Credit: Minnesota Department of Public Safety
- Jumper Cables
- Ice Scraper + Brush
- Portable Shovel
- Flashlight (with backup batteries)
- First-Aid Kit
- Cell Phone Charger and Adapter
- Pencil & Paper
- Extra Gloves, Jacket, Hat, Socks, Boots
- Water
- Snacks - granola bars, protein bars
- Hand & Toe Warmers
- Large Plastic Garbage Bag
- Whistle
- Small Candles with Matches
- Swiss Army Knife or other Basic Tools
- Bag of Sand or Non-Clumping Kitty Litter
- Sleeping Bag or Blankets
- Red Bandanna or Cloth
- Road flares or Reflective Warning Triangles
- Towing cables or chain