FIRST ALERT DAY: Tuesday’s forecast calls for potential icing

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – KTTC Chief Meteorologist Nick Jansen is calling for Tuesday Dec. 13 to be First Alert Weather Day.

Winter Weather Advisories have been issued for areas along I-35 for Tuesday. These areas could see snowfall accumulations reach 0-3″ with ice accumulations around 0.10″. Winds will be a major problem throughout the day on Tuesday. A Wind Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for areas along Hwy.52.

You can follow the latest on our free KTTC Weather Authority mobile app.

Rainfall amounts could reach near 0.25-0.75″ with ice accumulations reaching near 0.10″. Some areas along I-35 could see the threat of ice accumulations exceeding the 0.10″ threshold. Light snow showers will continue on the backside of this weather-maker. Snowfall amounts by the end of the week could reach near 2-3″ area-wide.

Cold Canadian air will move in by the weekend. Highs will slowly drop from the 30s to the teens by Saturday. Overnight lows will drop into the single digits on both Saturday and Sunday nights. Looking into next week, high temperatures could drop into the single digits!

Be careful on the roads Tuesday!

What is a First Alert Day?

Here at KTTC, we want you to know we take the weather seriously in any situation because the weather can impact everyone differently. We want to highlight the days when the weather can be impactful, or even hazardous to your daily life. On these weather days, we want to alert you as soon as possible when these situations develop, and that’s why the KTTC weather team is launching First Alert Weather Days.

Our goal is to give you as much notice as possible about weather conditions that could force you to alter your daily plans, but sometimes the weather can change fast.

We want to be clear, this is not a way to hype the weather or the next “weather-maker” we are tracking. This is simply giving you a heads up on when weather conditions could be impactful on your daily life and you might need to take extra precautions to stay safe.

We could declare a First Alert Day for these types of weather situations:

Strong to severe thunderstorms
Heavy rainfall with the potential for Flooding
Snow and ice, especially when they impact roads
High winds could lead to downed trees and power outages
A dangerously cold day or extreme wind chills
A dangerously hot day or extreme heat index values

Alert days are designed to give you an ample amount of time to prepare and to keep your family safe.

WHAT YOU WILL SEE:

If we are considering issuing a First Alert Day, we will start our weathercast by looking at the next “weather-maker” that could impact our region. Once a First Alert Day is issued, you will see an “alert sign” on our 7-day forecast, which will signify an alert has been issued for that day.

If the forecast changes, and conditions are not expected to be as severe, we will downgrade from an “Alert Day”.

You can follow the latest on our free KTTC Weather Authority mobile app. Here you will find customized forecasts for your hometown and video updates when inclement weather is approaching. If you’re going out of town, the Weather Authority app will still work with your location and if there are any weather alerts issued, you’ll still receive them.