Extreme Weather: Severe Winter Storm Means A Foot Of Snow Expected In Parts Of Minnesota

Parts of southern Minnesota are under a major storm warning with forecasts of about a foot of snow to hit on Friday and last into Saturday morning.

Counties that are under a warning include Hennepin, Ramsey, Washington, Scott, Carver and Dakota in the Twin Cities metro area.

"A winter storm warning has been issued for southern Minnesota and parts of west central Wisconsin. Heavy snow of 6 to 8 inches is expected across much of this area. There will be bands of heavy snow within the warned area where snow totals could be as high as 12 inches. In addition, there will be some blowing snow further reducing visibility down along parts of the I-90 corridor," The National Weather Service said.

Snowfall rates are expected to be about 1 to 2 inches per hour on Friday evening and night. Travel conditions could be “paralyzing” in the evening, the weather service reported.

Area schools have canceled classes. The storm could mean havoc on the roads.

“The timing on this is not great,” local meteorologist Mike Augustyniak said. “Even a few tenths of an inch of snow during the morning commute, which is all I’m forecasting, can slick up the roads.”