Minneapolis Airport

Minneapolis Airport, (AP) – Hundreds of flights were canceled at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and officials in several states advised people to stay off the roads as a winter storm blew across the Upper Midwest on Sunday. Even before the worst of the storm hit, Delta Airlines canceled about 700 flights to and from the Twin Cities airport and other airlines thinned their schedules, “said spokeswoman Melissa Scovronski airport. She said Sunday afternoon, the storm had closed two of four runways at the airport.

In Detroit, the airline canceled about 230 flights as the airport of the city Metro Wayne County, while more than 200 flights through Chicago O’Hare airport were extinguished. Traffic on roads was not much better. The National Weather Service reported blizzard conditions in western Minnesota and has issued a winter storm warning for the rest of the southern half of the state.

It was part of a storm that stretched from Montana to Michigan and was moving east. The National Weather Service predicted it would bring a mixture of winter in the Upper Midwest for several days.

Weather Service forecasters predicted that the storm would rise from 10 to 15 inches of snow on Minneapolis Monday afternoon, who promised to do for a ride for those who work hard on President’s Day.

“There will be snow in the morning,” said weather service meteorologist James McQuirter. “There will be a trip in disarray.”

A spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation has recommended that people just stay home and watch TV on Sunday afternoon, rather than risk driving in the snow pushed by the wind.

“If people do not need to travel, they should not,” said spokesman Kevin Gutknect. “It’s really hard for people to see.”

The time will not be much better Monday morning, but at least one holiday trip will light more room for snowplows, Gutknecht said. Blowing should be clearing the roads difficult.

Sunday early evening, the weather service reported 9 inches of snow had fallen in Bloomington and a little over 8 inches in Burnsville, two suburbs south of Minneapolis. South Minneapolis reported 6 inches.

St. Paul and several cities in the southern half of the state of emergency declared snow, which usually triggers parking restrictions that make it easier to clean the streets. Minneapolis was not just Sunday night.

As the storm eastward, he also invited the travel warnings in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation warned that roads could become impassable due to a mixture of snow, freezing rain and ice.

In Michigan, state police warned this mixture of snow and freezing rain was expected by Monday noon in the southwestern part of the state. Sunday, WOOD-TV reported that south of U.S. 131 was closed for some time after dozens of vehicles crashed in Mecosta County near Big Rapids.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Mn Dot Road Conditions

Mn Dot Road Conditions, (ABC 6 News) – The Minnesota Department of Transportation calls the roads and highways in southern Minnesota difficult Monday and completely covered in northern Iowa. If you were on the road this weekend you could see some of the results of the storm last winter. A member of the ABC 6 News was on Interstate 35 south of Sunday, when traffic was slow and the conditions were dangerous.

Heavy snowfall in central and southern Minnesota on Sunday led to hundreds of flight cancellations and make road travel difficult and dangerous. By Sunday evening, the snowfall reached 10 cm or more in many places in the southern half of the state. Bloomington has received at least 15 inches, 14 inches Eden Prairie, Maplewood 11 inches. MPR meteorologist Paul Huttner said the snow has been reduced from by Monday morning. At noon on Monday, more than a foot of snow is expected in the Twin Cities and most of central Europe and southern Minnesota. MnDOT advises no travel in most parts of Minnesota reported difficult driving conditions on most roads south of St. Cloud. Travel on Interstate 35 north of Duluth was also considered “difficult”. Minnesota State Patrol responded to 284 accidents statewide 9:00 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, including 37 involving injuries. There were no fatalities, but an additional 368 vehicles spun off the road and five semifinals jacknifed.

The State Patrol said 211 of the plant and more than 100 spin-offs were in the Twin Cities area, including a police car that was hit. “It’s down to a fairly rapid pace, and I advise that if you do not need to travel today, it’s probably a good day to sit inside,” said the spokesman Eric Roeske Minnesota State Patrol.

Roeske said roads, just south of the metro have been hardest hit so far. Roeske asked motorists to slow down, wear their seat belts, and leave enough time to get to their destination. MnDOT had its full quota of snowplows on the roads, but the decline is faster than drivers can push it, spokesman Kevin Gutknecht said. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, spokeswoman Melissa Strovonsky said Delta has canceled 700 flights. These flights were originally scheduled to or from Minneapolis before midnight Sunday. Sunday afternoon, 450 of the 560 arrivals and departures listed – about 78 percent of flights – have been canceled. Scovronski said there would be many more cancellations Sunday and Monday.
The Metrodome’s roof collapsed over two months, but officials are still keeping an eye on the facility during the storm. On 12 December blizzards first a broken side panel and let the air out of a building support. Snow load of the storm broke at least three more panels, and did minor damage inside. Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission Executive Director Bill Lester said that while the roof is scheduled for replacement, his staff does most of the roof to fall in

Source: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/02/20/wx-sunday/

Tropical Storm Alex

Tropical Storm Alex:The first tropical storm of the season 2010 Atlantic hurricane has formed in the western Caribbean, hours after Hurricane Hunters found the area of disturbed weather was actually a tropical depression late on Friday.

Tropical Storm Alex has sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts up to 50 mph and was moving west-northwest at 8 mph from 7 am EDT Intermediate Advisory. Tropical storm winds extended 105 miles from the center of the storm.

Further strengthening of tropical storm Alex is expected to remain near or below a large ridge of high pressure, which will result in very favorable environment for continued development with light vertical wind shear.

Alex is less than 255 miles east southeast of Chetumal and Mexico and less than 200 miles east of Belize City.

www.usspost.com

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of Belize and the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico from Chetumal to Cancun.

The track forecast by the National Hurricane Center, the center of Alex will approach the coast of Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula late tonight or Sunday morning.

Along the way Alex, heavy amounts of rain of 4-8 inches with localized amounts up to 15 inches are likely in mountain areas, which could lead to life-threatening floods.

After making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula on Sunday, there is great uncertainty.

A persistent but sinuous ridge over the South has been responsible for the hot, dry conditions continued mainly for over a month could keep what remains of Alex after he moves out of the southwest Gulf of Mexico on Monday, moving west and / or northwest to the west, it will have on the mainland of Mexico and southern Texas or extreme but the forecast models show some weakening of the ridge, which would bring further north. In addition, due to environmental conditions remain very favorable for development, hurricane forecast models want to develop more quickly up the remains of Hurricane Alex. This is not likely in this time, but re-building is certainly possible.

The official National Hurricane Center’s forecast calls for Alex to return to the warm waters of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico Monday morning after weakening to a tropical depression Sunday. Here again is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm early Tuesday.

Regardless of route forecasts, all coastal residents should continue to monitor the latest information as it becomes available regarding the first tropical storm for the 2010 season of Atlantic hurricanes, Tropical Storm Alex.

Minnesota Tornadoes

Minnesota Tornadoes:Wadena, Minnesota – Police and National Guard troops are blocking the entrance to the tornado damaged neighborhoods in the northwest of Wadena as the people of Minnesota are preparing to begin cleaning up after devastating storms.

At least three people were killed and dozens injured as tornadoes hit much of Minnesota on Thursday night.

In the northwestern part of the state, an elderly woman died in Almora and a gas station owner was killed in Mentor. In southern Minnesota, one person died on a farm west of Albert Lea.

Officials in Wadena meet to plan the next step in the city. The storms destroyed or damaged dozens of houses, downed power lines and left a large part of the city without trees.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty planned tour the storm-damaged areas on Friday.