Accuweather's going crazy on the approaching winter storm, but fortunately for us, it's a near-miss:
AccuWeather Global Weather Center -- 2 December 2013 --AccuWeather.com reports a storm that may evolve into an all-out blizzard will deliver snow, slippery roads, increasing wind and reduced visibility will create treacherous travel conditions and dangerous cold across the Rockies and Northern states through midweek.
The worst of the storm is likely Tuesday night into early Wednesday from eastern North Dakota to northern Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin, part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and neighboring Canada. The worst of the cold following the storm will also focus over this area.
Rockies
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Some locations in the northern Rockies have already received over a foot of snow since Sunday, and up to a foot of additional snow is expected through Tuesday.
Travel along I-90 from northern Idaho to western Montana, along with I-15 through the northern Rockies can be hazardous due to snow and blowing snow.
Roads going in and out of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park will also become slick.
Winds through some of the passes can gust above 30 mph at times, creating blowing and drifting snow.
Snow will also spread across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest through Tuesday.
Northern Plains, Upper Midwest
A fresh blanket of snow will pile up 3 to 6 inches from eastern Montana to northern Wisconsin through Tuesday with an additional accumulation Tuesday night into Wednesday that will be accompanied by increasing wind and blowing and drifting of snow.
By the time the storm exits on Wednesday, storm totals will be in the 6- to 12-inch range.
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Wind-driven snow could shut down travel for a time along portions of I-94, I-29 and I-35 and affect the daily routines of hundreds of thousands of people in the region including Minot, Fargo and Grand Forks in North Dakota, and Duluth and International Falls, Minn.
Air travel delays are likely as well throughout the Northern states.
Very little snow will accumulate in Minneapolis through the day on Tuesday. However, a small amount of snow through Wednesday, combined with plunging temperatures can make for very slippery travel.
Wind gusts 25 to 40 mph will create blowing, drifting and poor visibility, making driving extremely difficult over part of the North Central states. White-out conditions are a possibility.
A blast of arctic air will drop temperatures into the teens across the northern Plains on Tuesday, then below zero on Tuesday night.
AccuWeather RealFeel® temperatures will become dangerously low during and after the storm, plummeting to between 30 to 40 below zero on Tuesday night through Thursday night.
By Michael Doll, Meteorologist for AccuWeather.com
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