BEMIDJI-Winter is not done with the Bemidji area-or Minnesota-just yet.
The Bemidji area is included in a winter storm warning from early Thursday to Friday afternoon, and some areas could see up to a foot of new snow, according to the National Weather Service.
And it's not just the Bemidji area. The Twin Cities area also is in a winter storm watch and a blizzard warning was issued on a line from Redwood Falls to the St. Cloud area.
Snow is expected to be heavy at times, and some areas could see up to 14 inches, the weather service said, although how little or how much snow falls could vary significantly by location.
According to the immediate Bemidji area forecast, snow is expected to fall mainly after 8 a.m. Thursday, and motorists can expect blowing, patchy snow between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There's a chance for 3 to 7 inches of new snow by the evening hours, and another 3 to 5 inches possible into Friday morning.
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However, temperatures should remain in the 30s both Thursday and Friday, dropping slightly in the evening hours. The weather should turn back to a bit more normal on Saturday, with temperatures expected in the 40s and no precipitation in the forecast.
Still, meteorologists and safety officials warned of possible dangerous road conditions the next two days.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation warned that motorists planning to travel in Minnesota Wednesday afternoon through early Friday should prepare for hazardous conditions, including heavy drifting and accumulations of ice and snow.
Drivers were advised to plan ahead, slow down and to give snowplows plenty of work to do their job.
"When there's heavy snowfall and strong winds, travel is difficult," said Todd Stevens, state maintenance engineer with MnDOT.
MnDOT advised drivers to:
• Stay alert for snowplows, which can turn or exit frequently and often with little warning.
• Stay back at least 10 car lengths from plows and avoid driving into a snow cloud caused by a plow
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• Slow down to a safe speed for current conditions
• Turn off the cruise control
For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org .
