BLIZZARD'S EDGE: Minneapolis Under Winter Weather Advisory

So far Southwest Minneapolis has escaped an ominous Blizzard Warning for Monday from the National Weather Service.

Instead, the NWS has put much of Hennepin County under a 24-hour Winter Weather Advisory that starts at 1 a.m. Monday, March 18, 2013.

But it's a Blizzard Warning for counties just to the west, so beware and take care.

In case you're feeling rusty on the Minneapolis snow emergency parking rules, here's a primer. 

Here is the NWS announcement of the Winter Weather Advisory:

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS LIKELY ACROSS WESTERN, SOUTHERN AND PORTIONS OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY EVENING.

A LATE SEASON WINTER STORM WILL BRING A QUICK BURST OF 2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY ACROSS THE REGION. THIS STORM WILL DRIVE A POWERFUL COLD FRONT THROUGH MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN BY MIDDAY MONDAY.

WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS OF AROUND 50 MPH WILL FOLLOW BEHIND THE FRONT OVER WESTERN AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA PERSISTING INTO EARLY MONDAY EVENING.

THESE STRONG WINDS WILL INTERACT WITH THE NEW SNOW AND CAUSE WHITE OUT CONDITIONS SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 94 AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 INCLUDING CARVER AND SCOTT COUNTIES IN MINNESOTA.

SLIGHTLY LIGHTER WINDS AND MORE TREES SHOULD PRECLUDE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER FAR EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN INCLUDING HENNEPIN AND RAMSEY COUNTIES AND THE REMAINDER OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO.

More details and advice from the NWS:

TIMING: SNOW WILL BEGIN AROUND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AND TAPER OFF MONDAY MORNING. GUSTY WINDS WILL THEN DEVELOP MONDAY MORNING BEHIND A COLD FRONT BEFORE SUBSIDING MONDAY EVENING.

SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 3 TO 5 INCHES.

WINDS/VISIBILITY: SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS NEAR 40 MPH WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. VISIBILITIES MAY BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES IN OPEN AREAS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW MEANS THAT VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIMITED DUE TO A COMBINATION OF FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW. USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING, ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS.