MINNEAPOLIS — It's never a good time to have a winter storm, but the days leading into Christmas Eve? That's just not ideal at all.
KARE 11 meteorologists, including Ben Dery, are forecasting snowfall on Wednesday and then ferocious winds on Thursday and Friday. That, Dery says, will cause blowing snow, significantly impacting visibility on the roads if you're traveling around the state to visit family and friends.
"I would say the biggest impacts will be in the open terrain," Dery said. "Places that don't have a lot of trees, a lot of farm country, say parts of western, southwestern and southern Minnesota. That's where you have the best potential of blizzard-like conditions."
And if you're flying?
Well, the good news is, the snow should stop by Thursday. But then, it's a matter of the wind.
"Usually, MSP does a pretty good job of clearing the runways. So, that's not a huge concern. But I think the big concern is getting to the airport," Dery said, "and possibly facing those bad road conditions."
After two years of disruptions from the pandemic, it's the not news many travelers want to hear this week.
"Last year, around the same time there was a big issue with omicron and shortage of staff, and unfortunately this year we're dealing with weather-related issues," said Omar Kaywan, a travel expert and co-founder of Goose Insurance. "We can't seem to be getting a break."
Kaywan offered a few tips for air travelers. Most importantly, check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
"You can start tracking your flight 24 hours before your departure time," Kaywan said. "Know if your flight is delayed. Know if your incoming flight is delayed."
You should also monitor your airline to see if they issue weather waivers in the days ahead.
"As of the 22nd, for lack of a better term, the chaos or mayhem is going to start," Kaywan said. "If it's not weather-related, it's definitely going to be resource- or short-of-staff-related, long lineups. So I think there could be some ripple effect."
By Christmas Eve, though, we should be on the upswing here in the Twin Cities.
"Travel should be — at least in theory — easier by the time we get into the weekend," Dery said.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist: