Freaking out- MSP Winter Storm Warning!!!

[rachel09985]

I am leaving for disney thursday at 11:30am. Currently Minneapolis is under a winter storm warning that keeps looking worse...

Issued by The National Weather Service
Minneapolis, MN


... WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM CDT THURSDAY...

THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM CDT THURSDAY.

* TIMING: A WINTRY MIX WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW LATE WEDNESDAY. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL BE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.

* SNOWFALL TOTALS: 8 TO 12 INCHES... WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.

* ICE TOTALS: LESS THAN A TENTH OF INCH.

* MAIN IMPACTS: THE COMBINATION OF HEAVY SNOW AND SLEET WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... SLEET... AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

... LONG DURATION WINTER STORM WITH TWO ROUNDS OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...

.A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE A COUPLE ROUNDS OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. THE FIRST ROUND OF PRECIPITATION SHOULD ARRIVE LATE TONIGHT IN THE FORM OF A WINTRY MIX OF RAIN... FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. MORE SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA... HOWEVER... SNOW TOTALS WILL BE LIGHT TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF WEDNESDAY. THE WINTRY MIX COULD CREATE SOME SLICK SPOTS FOR THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE.

A SECOND MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT ROUND OF WINTER WEATHER IS EXPECTED LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON. ALTHOUGH THERE STILL COULD BE A MIX OF SLEET... RAIN AND SNOW IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AT TIMES LATE WEDNESDAY... MANY LOCATIONS WILL MAKE THE CHANGE OVER TO MODERATE OR HEAVY SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT. SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 10 TO 12 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS APPROACHING 14 OR 15 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN A BAND CENTERED ALONG A LINE FROM REDWOOD FALLS... TO THE TWIN CITIES METRO... TO LADYSMITH IN WISCONSIN. SNOW TOTALS WILL DROP OFF TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH OF THIS HEAVY BAND TO JUST 4 TO 6 INCHES BY THE TIME YOU GET TO ALEXANDRIA AND LITTLE FALLS AND PERHAPS AS LITTLE AS 3 TO 5 INCHES NEAR THE IOWA AND MINNESOTA BORDER. LOCATIONS IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA SHOULD END UP WITH MORE SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN.


I am hoping Southwest moves to a Travel Advisory because then I will be able to change my flight to Wednesday but right now they don't have a travel advisory but delta does. If I were to change flights now it would be $187 and that isn't worth it for me.

Does anyone have any experience with this or give me any reassurance?? I don't want my first disney day to be lost. It is only a weekend long trip. When do you think southwest will change to an advisory?

 

[palhockeymomof2]

We fly SW out of Islip, NY....twice in the last 2 years ive watched to change flights due to a winter storm warning.....it seemed to me most other carriers in our area let travelers change their flights before SW.....hopefully you can keep checking often..since once they allow it the flights on other days book up,quickly......not sure if its true or not but once when I called the rep told me they reevaluate conditions hourly .....I hope your able to get to disney and enjoy your trip

 

[rachel09985]

We fly SW out of Islip, NY....twice in the last 2 years ive watched to change flights due to a winter storm warning.....it seemed to me most other carriers in our area let travelers change their flights before SW.....hopefully you can keep checking often..since once they allow it the flights on other days book up,quickly......not sure if its true or not but once when I called the rep told me they reevaluate conditions hourly .....I hope your able to get to disney and enjoy your trip

Thanks, I do too. I'm slightly freaking out!

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Just keep checking as often as you can....it is frustrating when other airlines have already allowed changes with no fee and your waiting.....that said I love SW...this is just the one area I find fault with them

 

[DebbieB]

The airport forecast doesn't look that bad. If any airport can handle it, it would be MSP.

http://www.weather.com/weather/5-day/Minneapolis-St+Paul+International+Airport+MN+MSP:9:US

 

[rachel09985]

The airport forecast doesn't look that bad. If any airport can handle it, it would be MSP.

http://www.weather.com/weather/5-day/Minneapolis-St+Paul+International+Airport+MN+MSP:9:US

Yeah the airport accumulation doesn't look as bad as the winter storm warning. I would think they could handle it too! I have never flown during a winter storm before so I am not sure what to expect. I will just keep checking and still try to switch my flight to tomorrow but I am not going to pay to switch.

 

[DebbieB]

Yeah the airport accumulation doesn't look as bad as the winter storm warning. I would think they could handle it too! I have never flown during a winter storm before so I am not sure what to expect. I will just keep checking and still try to switch my flight to tomorrow but I am not going to pay to switch.

The plane will have to stop at the deicing pad and get hosed down if there is snow or ice on the wings. Then off you go!

I used to travel to MSP quite alot about 5 years ago. There were some bad weather times but I always got in or out. One time I took off in a blizzard from Hartford, thought for sure I was going to be stuck. It has to be pretty bad to close a major airport.

 

[rachel09985]

The plane will have to stop at the deicing pad and get hosed down if there is snow or ice on the wings. Then off you go!

I used to travel to MSP quite alot about 5 years ago. There were some bad weather times but I always got in or out. One time I took off in a blizzard from Hartford, thought for sure I was going to be stuck. It has to be pretty bad to close a major airport.

Thanks! You made me feel better

 

[Floristmom]

Don't worry. The ground has gotten warm enough here that at first it will melt on contact. It will stick, but I would have no worries about the flight. It is getting to the airport with 494 or crosstown (62) in bumper to bumper traffic that I would be worried about For some unknown reason people here still do NOT know how to drive in snow!

 

[rachel09985]

Don't worry. The ground has gotten warm enough here that at first it will melt on contact. It will stick, but I would have no worries about the flight. It is getting to the airport with 494 or crosstown (62) in bumper to bumper traffic that I would be worried about For some unknown reason people here still do NOT know how to drive in snow!

Thanks so much! Ill make sure to allow myself plenty of time. It helps that it's at terminal 2. Ill probably take 494 but I am right off of 62.

 

[dudspizza]

A few things to look at.

1. Right now, they are saying maybe 6" in the metro area, with less as you go south. The largest snowfall totals will be through the middle of the state. MSP is on the southeast side of the metro, so it will see less snow then me in the NW suburbs.

2. The ground has warmed quite a bit the last few weeks and a lot of the snow will melt as it hits the ground. This storm will drop some snow but it will be gone quickly.

3. This is MSP and it is very equipped to handle the snow. My predicition is you will get out just fine. You may be delayed a bit, but you will be fine.

Duds

 

[travelcoupons]

I got stuck in MSP for 2 days in 2009.
They are one of the best equipped airports to handle snow & ice though so delays can happen but cancellations are fairly rare in April.

A few things to look at.

1. Right now, they are saying maybe 6" in the metro area, with less as you go south. The largest snowfall totals will be through the middle of the state. MSP is on the southeast side of the metro, so it will see less snow then me in the NW suburbs.

2. The ground has warmed quite a bit the last few weeks and a lot of the snow will melt as it hits the ground. This storm will drop some snow but it will be gone quickly.

3. This is MSP and it is very equipped to handle the snow. My predicition is you will get out just fine. You may be delayed a bit, but you will be fine.

Duds

 

[DebbieB]

Probably too late:

http://www.southwest.com/html/advisories/swa_travel_advisory_20133101365628644187.html

 

[rachel09985]

Probably too late:

http://www.southwest.com/html/advisories/swa_travel_advisory_20133101365628644187.html

thank you! I found out about 5pm that they had an advisory. I did call to try to get on the 6:50pm flight but it was sold out. Bummer!

 

[dudspizza]

thank you! I found out about 5pm that they had an advisory. I did call to try to get on the 6:50pm flight but it was sold out. Bummer!

good luck to you today.... the snow is coming down pretty good, but MSP is very good and getting planes in and out.....

We had a spring break trip to WDW a couple of years ago and it was a snow storm. Delta was grounding all of their planes, especially because they were "home". Airtran does not call MSP home, so they worked really hard to get the plane back in the air and they did! Being on SW, I think you'll be just fine.

I'm assuming OP is on SW1522 departing at 11:20am. Only delayed to 11:45 so far....... fingers crossed that's all it is!

Duds

 

[DebbieB]

It left at 1:05pm central, so she should be on the way!

 

[dudspizza]

It left at 1:05pm central, so she should be on the way!

I just went online to check as well....... arrived in Florida! yay!

 

[Greysword]

So...what happened? How was the weather during this storm? Since we have time for the OP to return and give us an update and weather is travel related, how bad was it?

 

[DebbieB]

So...what happened? How was the weather during this storm? Since we have time for the OP to return and give us an update and weather is travel related, how bad was it?

I had some contact with people in our St Paul office yesterday morning, they said it was bad. Some people didn't make it in, most people with laptops worked at home.

 

[Sunnywho]

100 flights were cancelled that morning because of ice. Light rail also shut down after two trains got immobilized because of ice on tracks.
Not too bad of a storm all things considered but notable because it was in april.
No real problems getting to/from work that day. Roads were slippery.