Winter Storm Advances; Schools and Airport Runways Closing due to Snow

MINNEAPOLIS – Forecasters are warning residents in parts of Minnesota and western Wisconsin the advancing winter storm could produce up to 9 inches of snow.

Minneapolis and St. Paul schools are among scores of districts that canceled classes Wednesday. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for much of central and southern Minnesota, through eastern South Dakota and into western Wisconsin.

Heavy snowfall has also caused runways to close at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport diverting some of their flights to the Duluth International Airport.

MSP officials are reminding passengers to make sure to check with their airline to verify the status of their flight before heading to the MSP Airport today.

The Twin Cities is in store for its snowiest February on record by the time the storm subsides. The area already has 22.6 inches of snow this month. Wednesday’s snowfall will likely break a record of 26.5 inches in February set back in 1962.

The heaviest accumulation is expected Wednesday morning when snowfall rates of an inch per hour were expected.