Snow Advisory (snow tapers - totals from 3-6", but 11" at St. Stephen!)

Snowfall Amounts As Of 3 PM:

* 11" St. Stephen and Sartell
6.6" Hillman, Morrison County.
6" Starbuck, Pope County
5.5" Foley, Benton County
3" St. Augusta, Stearns County
1.5" Burnsville

Snow Update. Trying to predict precisely where the heaviest snow bands will set up in advance is an exercise in futility. One band of heavier snow has formed near St. Cloud, closer to Little Falls and the Mille Lacs area. Another, second band of moderate snow is forming right over the south metro, spreading into the east metro. Southern and eastern suburbs of MSP stand the best chance of picking up 2-3" of snow by evening - still looks "plowable", but I have a hunch Bloomington, Eden Prairie and Woodbury will pick up more snow than Maple Grove, Anoka, Elk River or Shoreview. Just a hunch.

Heaviest Snow Bands Shifting South/East of St. Cloud. The bright green smear shows moderate snow, falling at the rate of 1" every 2-3 hours. The heaviest band is now moving out of the immediate St. Cloud metro area, total snowfall amounts between 3-5" for most neighborhoods. I expect little additional accumulation after 5 pm.

South Metro: "Parking Lot Travel Conditions". I'm always amazed (and a bit horrified) by what a lousy inch of snow can do to traffic. Check out MnDOT traffic conditions on a Google Map at 2:43 pm Saturday. Parking lot conditions on I-494 from Eden Prairie to MOA, conditions much worse over the south metro than north metro - lining up well with the heavier snow band that has temporarily parked over the southern suburbs.