UPDATE: Winter Storm Warning Issued for St. Michael, Twin Cities Area

UPDATE (4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7): The National Weather Service in Chanhassen has uprgraded the weekend forecast to a Winter Storm Warning, in effect for most metro counties through Sunday afternoon. 

Snow should begin falling Saturday and into Sunday, but it's the 40 mph winds that has forecasters calling for "blizzard conditions" on Sunday afternoon. 

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For those of you who were wondering how long we could get away with it, the answer is: not much longer. 

The National Weather Service has forecasted the ushering in of winter white Saturday night, issuing a Winter Storm Watch for the St. Michael area which will run from 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 through Sunday, Dec. 9. 

The area could see more than 6 inches of snowfall through the weekend, on top of about a 1 to 3-inch coating that could hit the Twin Cities metro area today. 

The system brings in the first wave of snow this afternoon and evening. According to the National Weather Service, a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued South Central and West Central Minnesota, including Wright County, as snowfall could reach from the Minnesota Valley region to the Twin Cities by nightfall.

Snow should end tonight prior to midnight, but the white stuff is expected to reach the metro again by 6 p.m. and has the "potential to develop into a significant winter storm" for at least part of the area, the NWS states.

Snow will "spread into West Central Minnesota by Saturday evening" the forecast continues, "and then northeast across Central Minnesota into West Central Wisconsin by Saturday night."

Snow will be heavy overnight, especially across Central Minnesota Saturday night into Sunday. Winds developing Sunday could cause "near-blizzard conditions" the NWS concludes.

For the complete weather statement fromt the Minnesota National Weather Service, visit them here. 

Stay tuned to St. Michael Patch for any new developments, including forecasts and any possible road closings.