A winter storm warning was issued for central and northwestern Minnesota from Wednesday evening through Thursday

MINNEAPOLIS – The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for several cities in northwestern, west-central and central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota.

Several schools in Minnesota are reporting Closures and delays Wednesday evening before the storm.

Winter storm warning

Here are the areas that will be most affected by the winter storm warning:

The winter storm warning for these cities begins Wednesday at 9 p.m. and lasts until Thursday 6 p.m.: Ashby, Erdahl, Lisbon, Wahpeton, Valley City, Fargo, Enderlin, Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Elbow Lake, Lawndale, Hoffman, Fergus Falls, Barrett, McLeod, Herman, Shoreham and Breckenridge.

The winter storm warning for these cities begins at 12 p.m. Thursday and runs through 12 p.m. Friday: St. Cloud, Center City, Cambridge, Shakopee, Long Prairie, Minneapolis, Princeton, Alexandria, Chaska, Sauk Rapids, Elk River, Monticello, Chanhassen, Hastings, Stillwater, St. Paul, Blaine, Mora, Little Falls and Victoria.

According to the National Weather Service, these areas could see 3 to 7 inches of snow and wind gusts of up to 37 mph.

Officials warn that roads, especially bridges and overpasses, will likely be slick. According to the National Weather Service, white-out conditions are expected.

Drivers are advised to postpone all journeys if possible. Conditions will likely impact commutes Thursday morning and evening.

Upcoming forecast details

Conditions will be a little cooler in the metro next Wednesday the snowiest day of the season in the twin cities.

Incoming cold air will drop high temperatures to the low 20s. There will be clouds in the morning, but sunshine will creep in as the day progresses. We’re playing the waiting game because our next system won’t arrive until overnight.

A NEXT weather advisory is in effect for Thursday with a winter storm warning for western Minnesota. Snow will fall from the northwest on Wednesday night and spread southeast across the state.

Snow accumulation is expected through the Thursday morning commute. While it will still snow during your evening commute, the breezy wind could cause visibility issues.

Accumulations of 2 to 4 inches are still on track, with a large swath likely in the 3 to 6 inch range around the I-94 corridor and slightly north. There will be less snow as the day progresses, but there may be a flurry in the evening as the moisture settles.

A Canadian high will bring colder temperatures Friday and Saturday, with lows in the single digits and highs in the teens. A weak system late Friday into Saturday could produce about an inch, but at this point it appears to be southwest of the area.

Looking into early next week, temperatures will rise into the 20s and 30s and another weather system could take hold. The type of precipitation will depend on the warming trend.

It’s unclear at this point whether most Minnesotans still have this There is snow on the ground on Christmas Day.