Blizzard Warnings Now Issued In Over 12 Minnesota Counties

Hopefully, you haven't put your snow blower and other winter gear into storage quite because Old Man Winter isn't quite ready to leave the Upper Midwest.

According to the National Weather Service, a band of heavy snow will develop across the region early Wednesday morning and last through Wednesday evening. It is expected to start as rain, and quickly transition to heavy, wet snow, with snowfall rates of an inch per hour or greater at times.

Amounts of around 4 to 9 inches are expected in some spots, with isolated pockets of up to a foot of snow possible. Northerly winds of 30 to 40 mph are also expected to develop, causing blowing and drifting snow.

Things could be more challenging in south-central Minnesota, where wind gusts could exceed 45 mph leading to whiteout conditions.

In preparation, the NWS has issued a Blizzard Warning in areas where there is the best chance for heavy snowfall and significant blowing snow impacts. This includes portions of Minnesota, as well as surrounding states.

Blizzard Warning #1

This Blizzard Warning includes the Minnesota cities of Albert Lea, Mankato, Owatonna, New Ulm, St. Peter, Fairmont, St James, Le Sueur, Red Wing, Faribault, Blue Earth, and Waseca.

WHAT: Blizzard conditions are expected with total snow accumulations between 4 and 9 inches and winds gusting as high as 50 mph.
WHERE: Blue Earth, Brown, Faribault, Freeborn, Le Sueur, Martin, Nicollet, Rice, Steele, Waseca, Watonwan, and Goodhue Counties.
WHEN: From 5 AM to 7 PM Wednesday.
IMPACTS: Whiteout conditions are expected and will make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. Travel could be very difficult. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes. Strong winds could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. Call 5 1 1 or visit 511mn.org for road conditions.

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Blizzard Warning #2

This Blizzard Warning impacts southwest Minnesota and portions of northwest and west central Iowa, and southeast South Dakota.

It includes the cities of Cherokee, Sheldon, Hawarden, Spirit Lake, George, Windom, Vermillion, Milford, North Sioux City, Inwood, Beresford, Elk Point, Mountain Lake, Hartley, Sibley, Orange City, Sanborn, Rock Rapids, Le Mars, Hull, Worthington, Ponca, Larchwood, Arnolds Park, Storm Lake, Rock Valley, Alcester, Battle Creek, South Sioux City, Sioux City, Spencer, Jefferson, Wakefield, Sioux Center, Lakefield, Jackson, Holstein, Allen, and Ida Grove.

WHAT: Blizzard conditions are expected with total snow accumulations between 4 and 9 inches, with isolated pockets up to 12 inches possible and winds gusting as high as 60 mph.
WHERE: Portions of northwest and west central Iowa, southwest Minnesota, northeast Nebraska, and southeast South Dakota.
WHEN: From 4 AM to 7 PM Wednesday.
IMPACTS: Travel could be very difficult to impossible. Widespread blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday morning and evening commutes. Strong winds could cause tree damage.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. The latest road conditions for the state you are
calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. Road conditions are also online at 511mn.org for Minnesota, new.511.nebraska.gov in Nebraska, and sd511.org in South Dakota.

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Blizzard Warning #3

This warning impacts portions of Iowa, including the cities of Clear Lake, Fonda, Lake View, Estherville, Humboldt, Wall Lake, Odebolt, Kanawha, Emmetsburg, Manly, Garner, Laurens, Eagle Grove, Denison, Mason City, Pocahontas, Lake Mills, Carroll, Belmond, Forest City, Rockwell City, Schaller, Gilmore City, Britt, Northwood, Manson, Pomeroy, Sac City, Rolfe, Lake City, Fort Dodge, Algona, Early, and Clarion.

WHAT: Blizzard conditions are expected with total snow accumulations between 2 and 10 inches, with the highest amounts expected northwest, and winds gusting as high as 65 mph.
WHERE: Portions of northern and western Iowa.
WHEN: From 5 AM to 10 PM Wednesday.
IMPACTS: The strong winds and weight of snow on tree limbs may down power lines and could cause sporadic power outages. Whiteout conditions are possible and may make travel treacherous and potentially life-threatening. The hazardous conditions could impact the Wednesday evening commute.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. Road conditions in Iowa are available online at 511ia.org and by calling 5 1 1.

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These Common Household Items Are Now Banned In Minnesota

A hot topic lately is PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as "forever chemicals" because they are difficult for humans to detoxify and have half-lives measured in years. These chemicals accumulate in the body over time and can cause significant health issues even at low exposure levels

PFAS are commonly found in the environment and the human body and have been linked to a range of health concerns including increased cholesterol levels, potential disruption of hormone systems, reduced immune function, increased risk of certain cancers, developmental issues in children, and reproductive problems, particularly in pregnant women.

On January 1, 2024, Minnesota prohibited PFAS in firefighting foam and food packaging. The state is taking an even more aggressive stance against the chemicals in 2025.

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the first prohibitions of products containing intentionally added PFAS under Amara's Law (Minn. Stat. § 116.943) are now in effect in Minnesota, meaning you can no longer legally purchase these items.

If you're wondering if you already have products with intentionally added PFAS, you can take the following steps to be sure:

Check the label - Look for products that are labeled as PFAS-free.
Check for keywords - Look for words like "waterproof," "stain-repellent," or "dirt-repellant" on the tag.
Check for ingredients - Avoid products that contain ingredients with "perfluoro" or "fluoro" in their name.
Use a third-party verification service - Some organizations offer third-party verification of products that claim to be made without PFAS.

As of January 1, 2025, you can no longer purchase products with intentionally added PFAS in Minnesota. These products fall under the 11 categories below.

Gallery Credit: David Drew