WINONA, Winn. – People in southeast Minnesota and western Wisconsin and northeast Iowa battened down the hatches — and everything else – in anticipation of the most severe storm of the season. It’ll be a double whammy. The U.S. weather station in LaCrosse predicted 3 to 7 inches of powdery snow overnight –then the second blow: a full-fledged blizzard Thursday. Forecasters don’t bandy around the “blizzard” lightly. Their definition is technical:
> 35-plus mph winds with blowing snow.
> Less than one-quarter mile visibility.
> Duration of three hours or more.
Path to Winona. Winter’s next assault was predicted to hit Winona about 4 p.m. Wednesday. The blizzard comes Thursday. Image: National Weather Service
Massive sbutdowns, major travel delays
Winona public schools called off classes Thursday, starting the holiday break one day early. Winona State University and Minnesota State Southeast cancelled everything. Delivery services, including Culligan water-softener deliveries, called customers not to expect new salt until Monday. Police agencies advised motorists to stay off the roads. With airports closing far and wide, the interconnected national airline web system was expected to be asunder on one the heaviest travel periods of the year.