kare 11 is at the center of urgent attention as blizzard warnings are upgraded with a major snowstorm targeting the Twin Cities. As of 1: 00 PM ET, forecasters warn that 45 to 55 mph wind gusts could create near-blizzard travel conditions in the region. The concern is straightforward: rapidly worsening visibility and dangerous travel as wind-driven snow intensifies.
Upgraded blizzard warnings and the immediate travel threat
The key near-term hazard is the wind. Forecasters say gusts in the 45 to 55 mph range could be strong enough to push travel conditions toward near-blizzard levels, especially if snow becomes more intense or more widespread. In practical terms, that means the potential for sharply reduced visibility and hazardous driving in and around the Twin Cities as the storm targets the metro.
For residents, the most immediate takeaway is that conditions can deteriorate quickly under high wind gusts—particularly on exposed roadways and during periods when snow is actively falling or being blown across lanes. The warning upgrade signals heightened confidence in dangerous conditions rather than a routine winter event.
What the broader March megastorm could bring across the U. S.
Beyond the Twin Cities, a powerful storm is expected to rapidly intensify and expand across the central United States from Sunday into Monday, bringing widespread disruptions for millions. Blizzard conditions and high winds are expected in parts of the Upper Midwest, while strong thunderstorms, heavy rain, and gusty winds affect areas farther south and east. The system’s wind field may become expansive and intense if it strengthens quickly.
AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said the storm from Sunday into Monday has the potential to become a bomb cyclone, defined as a central pressure drop of at least 0. 71 inches of mercury (24 millibars) in 24 hours or less—an evolution that would help generate stronger, wider-reaching winds. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Matt Benz said the system will draw in significant Pacific moisture and then tap Gulf and Atlantic moisture as it advances across the central and northeastern states.
Rayno also warned that travel is likely to be especially hazardous Monday as snow, strong winds, and bitter cold combine to produce blizzard conditions across northern portions of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes region. He added that actual temperatures may be no better than the teens and single digits in much of the area, with AccuWeather RealFeel Temperatures near or below zero for a time.
Kare 11: Immediate reactions, disruption outlook, and what’s next
kare 11 coverage is now focused on the warning upgrade and the fast-changing travel picture in the Twin Cities as the storm closes in. On the disruption front, the storm’s expansive winds may affect dozens of states, with power outages potentially reaching the hundreds of thousands to millions. Flight delays and cancellations from Sunday through Monday night could climb into the thousands, affecting major hubs including Denver, Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D. C., and Charlotte, along with numerous connecting airports.
AccuWeather meteorologists anticipate a large swath of heavy snow, with blizzard conditions possible in portions of Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, northern Illinois, and southeastern Minnesota. Enough snow to shovel and plow may extend from parts of the Dakotas to northern Michigan. Within that broader snow zone, AccuWeather forecasts 1 to 3 feet of snow from near Minneapolis and Green Bay, Wisconsin, to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Quick context: This is being framed as a March megastorm with multiple hazards—blizzard conditions and high winds in the Upper Midwest and severe weather and heavy rain risks farther south and east. The same storm system could bring widespread disruption across a large stretch of the central and eastern United States.
What’s next: As of 1: 00 PM ET, the operational focus is on how quickly conditions deteriorate as the storm targets the Twin Cities and whether the highest wind gusts coincide with the worst snowfall. Updates are expected as the storm intensifies from Sunday into Monday, with the most hazardous travel conditions projected during the storm’s peak impacts.
