Travel advisory issued for parts of Minnesota as whiteout conditions target Upper Midwest

(NEW YORK) — The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued a “no travel advisory” for highways in northwestern Minnesota as high winds cause dangerous blowing snow and low visibility.

Drivers in Minnesota and North Dakota should be prepared for intense bursts of heavy snow, wind gusts over 40 mph and visibility under one-quarter of a mile.

The cold front will move through the Minneapolis-St. Paul area during the afternoon and reach Chicago by the evening.

The cold front will head to the East Coast by early Thursday morning.

The heaviest snow from this quick-moving clipper system will be near the Great Lakes, where the shot of cold air will create heavy lake effect snow bands.

One to 2 feet of snow is possible from Michigan to upstate New York.

The clipper system will also bring 3 to 10 inches of snow from Massachusetts to Maine.

Up to 10 inches of snow is possible in the Appalachian Mountains in Maryland and West Virginia.

The Interstate 95 corridor — including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City — is not expecting any snow accumulation. But those major cities should be prepared for wind gusts reaching 50 mph.