FIRST ALERT: Accumulating ice & snow expected Monday & Tuesday

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Our next weather-maker will arrive late Monday afternoon and impact the Upper Midwest through early Wednesday. This will be a messy system with freezing rain, a wintry mix, and snow all expected. Anticipate there to be significant travel impacts to the region over the next few days. Monday and Tuesday will be FIRST ALERT DAYS.

Tonight, conditions will remain quiet with increasing clouds and calm west winds. Temperatures will cool back into the upper teens.

Various winter weather alerts are out for the viewing area:

Ice Storm Warning: Freeborn and Steele counties from 3 pm Monday through 6 pm Tuesday.

Dodge, Mower, Mitchell, Hancock, Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Winnebago, and Worth counties from 6 pm Monday through 6 pm Tuesday.

Winter Weather Advisory: Goodhue county from 6 pm Monday through 6 pm Tuesday.

Winter Storm Watch: Wabasha, Winona, Houston, Olmsted, Fillmore, Howard, and Chickasaw counties from 6 pm Monday through 6 pm Tuesday.

The first half of Monday will be quiet and cloudy with mild temperatures in the upper 20s and low 30s. Freezing rain and a wintry mix will arrive in the Mason City, IA area between 4-6 pm and gradually progress east. Light snow will begin around 7-8 pm in the Rochester area before transiting to freezing rain and a wintry mix. Freezing rain and mixing are expected area-wide throughout the night and Tuesday morning as temperatures hover around freezing (32 degrees), before changing over to all snow during the afternoon.

Travel is expected to be very difficult to near impossible in some areas due to snow and ice accumulation. Up to 0.1″ of ice is expected area-wide while areas west of Hwy 52 have a greater chance of receiving 0.2″ to 0.3″ of ice. Snowfall amounts will range from 1-4″ of accumulation with higher amounts across Goodhue county and further north toward the Twin Cities. Lesser amounts are expected in northern Iowa.

Light snow is expected to wrap up early Wednesday morning with conditions clearing out Wednesday afternoon. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 20s with breezy north winds.

The remainder of the week will be much quieter with partly sunny skies and highs in the upper teens to low 20s Thursday and Friday. Isolated snow chances are possible Saturday with temperatures in the mid-20s.

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