WILLMAR - A major winter storm rolling into Minnesota is expected to track well south of the Willmar area, according to the National Weather Service.
The city of Willmar and southern Kandiyohi County are forecast to see less than an inch of snow, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Joe Calderone with the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen said it's possible that Willmar will not see any snow on Monday, as the storm track appears to be staying well to the south.
The storm is forecast to drop 12 inches of snow and more Monday in a band running roughly from Fairmont and Albert Lea to Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Strong winds with gusts over 30 miles an hour will create blizzard conditions during parts of the day in parts of south central Minnesota.
The storm track is forecast to deliver anywhere from 1 inch of snow in parts of northern Renville County to possibly 6 inches in the southeast corner of the county. Parts of Redwood County could see 6 inches of snow.
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Swift and the northern portion of Kandiyohi County are not forecast to see snow. Meeker, Lac qui Parle, Chippewa and Yellow Medicine counties are among the areas where an inch or more of snow is possible.
Calderone cautions travelers in west central Minnesota that even though snow amounts will be small, strong winds will whip the snow and cause areas with limited visibility.
While the area has not lacked for cold this winter, snowfall amounts remain well below normal. That has put a crimp on many outdoor recreational activities. Sibley State Park in rural New London and the Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center in rural Spicer have not been able to groom cross-country ski trails or host snowshoe hikes, as would normally be the case.
Colin Wright, assistant state park manager at Sibley, said the lack of snow has affected plans by some park visitors, who anticipate cross-country skiing and sledding opportunities at this time of year. This is one of three winters in the last eight or nine years that the park has not been able to groom its ski trails this late into January, he said.
