Blizzard Warning: New Snow, Winds Combine for Treacherous Conditions Sunday

The National Weather Service in Chanhassen has issued a blizzard warning for Wright County and areas west of the Twin Cities metro Sunday. 

High winds combined with the three to four inches of new snow that have fallen over the last two days will make for "white-out" conditions, especially in rural areas, the NWS warns. 

Winds clocked at more than 30 mph are expected, with gusts up to 55 mph. 

More on the warning here: 

BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT... ... WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST TUESDAY...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT CST TONIGHT. A WIND CHILL WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON CST TUESDAY.

* TIMING: BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP TODAY... THEN PERSIST INTO TONIGHT. THE WORST CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FROM AROUND NOON THROUGH 9 PM THIS EVENING.

* WINDS/VISIBILITY: WIDESPREAD WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... WITH NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH AND GUSTS TO 55 MPH.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: MINIMAL NEW SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED DURING THE POTENTIAL BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

* WIND CHILLS: TEMPERATURES WILL FALL THROUGH THE DAY TODAY... DROPPING TO NEAR ZERO BY EVENING... AND INTO A RANGE FROM 15 TO 25 BELOW ZERO BY MONDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS OF 40 TO 50 BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

&&

... BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW EASTERN MINNESOTA INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN...

... DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS EXPECTED TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY...

.THE BLIZZARD WARNING INCLUDES LOCATIONS GENERALLY ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM STAPLES TO THE WESTERN TWIN CITIES METRO AREA TO FARIBAULT. NORTHWEST WINDS FROM 30 TO 40 MPH... WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH WILL DEVELOP TODAY ACROSS WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND COMBINE WITH THE 1 TO 4 INCHES OF FRESHLY FALLEN SNOW... TO RESULT IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WITH WIDESPREAD VISIBILITIES NEAR ZERO IN THE BLIZZARD WARNING AREA... WITH MORE SPORADIC WHITEOUT CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO THE EAST IN THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY AREA. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH SOME LATE TONIGHT... WHICH WILL ALLOW CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE... BUT AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO MONDAY.

IN ADDITION... TEMPERATURES WILL QUICKLY DROP TODAY... FALLING FROM EARLY HIGHS IN THE TEENS AND 20S TO READINGS BELOW ZERO OVER MOST AREAS BY EVENING. TEMPERATURES WILL THEN DROP INTO A RANGE FROM 15 TO 25 BELOW BY MONDAY MORNING. THIS WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS FROM 35 TO 50 BELOW ZERO BEGINNING SUNDAY NIGHT AND LASTING INTO TUESDAY. A WIND CHILL WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE COVERAGE AREA TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN.