Ready for Round 2? 6 to 9 inches of new snow coming Saturday

Here comes Round 2.

After digging out Friday morning from a storm that brought several inches of heavy, wet snow to the Twin Cities metro area and other parts of the state, Minnesotans refueled the snowblowers and shook off the shovels in preparation for a second, even stronger storm. Luckily, it'll arrive on Saturday, when driving is optional for many residents.

Friday afternoon and evening provided a brief respite after a harrowing morning commute in which snow-covered roads sent scores of motorists sliding into ditches.

Parking suddenly got more difficult, too. Minneapolis, St. Paul, Hastings, Plymouth, St. Anthony, West St. Paul, Crystal, Bloomington, St. Louis Park and Robbins­dale all declared snow emergencies after 3 to 6 inches of snow fell Thursday night into Friday morning.

Just as residents dug out from that one, the National Weather Service sharpened its forecast for another approaching storm, issuing a winter storm warning that will start at 3 p.m. Saturday for the Twin Cities area and much of southern Minnesota, with 6 to 9 inches of fresh snow expected.

Some of the snow could be heavy, falling at rates of 1 or 2 inches per hour Saturday evening, and northwest winds gusting to 30 to 35 miles an hour Saturday night will lead to areas of blowing snow, the Weather Service said.

The prospect of another heavy snow could lead Minneapolis to issue a second snow emergency just as the one issued Friday expires. It's too early to say, said Minneapolis city spokesman Casper Hill.

"We make our decision based on what snow actually falls," he said. "But after a big snowfall, always keep watching."

And definitely keep up on those parking rules.

While parking could be a hassle, the hefty snowfalls just days apart should be good news for winter sports enthusiasts who have been starved for healthy snow for much of the winter.

Weather Service meteorologist Bill Borghoff said the metro area is in line for receiving the heaviest snow totals as the storm moves across the state.

In the metro, flakes should start flying midafternoon Saturday and be most intense between 6 and 10 p.m., Borghoff said.

The dumping will come after 6 inches of snow fell in Burnsville and Bloomington Thursday night into early Friday. Other totals included 5.7 inches in White Bear Lake, Edina and Rosemount; 5.6 inches at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and North St. Paul, and 5.4 inches in Woodbury. Outstate, Montevideo picked up 8 inches while Brainerd had 7.6 inches, the Weather Service said.

That was enough to force many school districts to start classes late on Friday, and it kept the State Patrol busy. Between midnight and 11 a.m. Friday, troopers responded to 137 crashes statewide and 193 spinouts. No fatalities were reported.

MnDOT sent out its armada of plows Thursday night and thanked drivers who adapted to the conditions.

"When you move, we move," the agency said. "And, of course, a big shout out to all plow drivers who had their blades on the road since before the sun came up."

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768