Eight central Minnesota counties, including Anoka and Washington counties have been placed under winter weather advisory.

Traveling north? Dahl said while a majority of the storm is expected to impact travel overnight, those traveling north during the day Saturday should still be careful.  He added that travel in areas of west central Minnesota may be difficult.

In the areas where the blizzard warning is in effect, winds reaching 50 mph are expected to cause whiteout conditions, according to NWS. In the areas where the winter storm warning is in effect, blowing snow is also a concern. Dahl said some areas of central Minnesota could see between 5 to 8 inches of snow.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation in Bemidji released a statement Friday, saying snowplow crews are prepared for the snow overnight. MnDOT also encouraged motorists to plan ahead by checking road conditions on the department’s website. 

MnDOT also emphasized the importance of staying alert around snowplows and giving them plenty of room to work.

In the areas where the winter weather advisory is in effect, Dahl said some snow accumulation is expected, which could impact travel slightly.

Dahl added that the storm could always shift, changing exactly how much snow is expected to hit the metro area.

While snow in the metro could make for some slick roadways, Dahl does not expect the snow to impact people who plan to fly out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport over the weekend.

Traveling south? Dahl said those headed to southern Minnesota or Iowa will have it the easiest. As of right now, the southern portion of the state is not expected to be impacted by the storm.