Spring Snow to Disrupt Travel in Minneapolis, Chicago

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

March 22,2015; 10:27PM,EDT

 

 

The official start to spring has not ended the opportunity for snow to whiten the Midwest, which will be evident as this weekend comes to a close.
Snow will continue to track from the border of North Dakota and South Dakota to southern Lower Michigan into Sunday night.
Cities in the path of this snow include Minneapolis and St. Cloud, Minnesota; La Crosse and Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago; and South Bend, Indiana.
Initially the snow will struggle to accumulate around Chicago, but that will change Sunday night into Monday morning as steadier snow arrives.

A general 1 to 3 inches will accumulate along the snow's path from the eastern border of the Dakotas to northern Illinois and northwestern Indiana, but a narrow area of 3 to 6 inches will develop from southeastern Minnesota to the northwestern tip of Illinois.
Some spots, including in the vicinity of La Crosse, Wisconsin, will even pick up more than 6 inches of snow before all is said and done.
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Due to the recent mild temperatures and the stronger March sun, the heaviest accumulations will be measured on grassy and elevated surfaces.
That does not mean that motorists, including those planning to travel on stretches of interstates 35, 43, 90 and 94, should let their guard down.
"Snow can have a hard time accumulating on the roads this time of year because the sun angle is getting higher and higher," stated AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Brian Thompson.

"However, with the snow falling at night [in Chicago] this time around, roads and sidewalks will likely become slippery into the Monday morning commute."
The same can be said in other communities where snow is expected at night and in the early morning hours. Snow that comes down heavily during the day can also overcome the effect of the March sun and create hazardous travel.
An end to travel troubles from this snow event will come Monday as the snow quickly fizzles instead of continuing its journey to the Ohio Valley or Northeast.
The snow that falls Sunday through Sunday night will also quickly melt later Monday as temperatures approach or pass the 40-degree mark. Any lingering standing water or wet spots from the melting snow could turn icy Monday night as temperatures then dip back below freezing.

Further warming will occur on Tuesday ahead of the next storm set to be a rain event for most areas ending this weekend with snow. The main exceptions will be across North Dakota and northern Minnesota.