Storm in MSP expected this weekend, weather waiver issued
 

Just a heads up for everyone, I know everyone has been on edge lately from the winter storms. A storm is expected to go through MSP starting rush hour Friday through early Monday, with up to a foot of snow possible for the weekend.

Because the snow will be spread out among a few days, the most likely delays will be from deicing and ATC minimum seperation requirements for low visibility, slowing the number of landings.

As always, check your flights' status ahead of time and good travels!

UPDATE: Weather waiver issued, see this post

It's going to hit a lot of the upper midwest, also. Outstations in MN, IA, the Dakotas, WI, and beyond should also prepare for delays.

This is expected to be the largest snowfall of the season for MSP, but we'll see. I first heard reports early in the week of a managable 3-5". Yesterday it went to 4-7". Tonight they're talking "over a foot of snow". It is sweeps period, so take it all with a grain of salt. Pay attention to nwa.com flight progress and basically ignore the local news this weekend (if you live in the affected areas). :)

great weekend for some ORD-MSP runs eh? :mad:
I guess I can't say I didn't see it coming. Actually, the snow at MSP worries me less than the potential for freezing rain at ORD...

Up to a foot of snow over 36-48 hours. MSP can handle that no sweat. Just have to use extra deicing.

Latest forecast that I heard is a minimum of 10 inches and possibly up to 15 inches at the airport. That is over a three day period, so it may not be too bad.

If anyone is traveling through MSP in the storm keep the stories flowing in. It'll help me blog about the event. :)

So what is MSP's threshold where it can't handle a snow storm?

I really wouldn't be surprised if the storm "just misses us" and dumps a foot on RST. :) But, even if it does hit us in full force, I expect MSP ground crews to live up to their reputation.

I don't know, but it probably deals with rate, not volume. With 4 runways, 3 of which are used primarily, even with the heaviest of snows, close one while it's being cleaned and use the other two. If it gets really bad, close two for cleaning and just run on one of them (probably 30L/12R), then switch.

Guess this is my payback for TPA, SEA, SAN the past 12 days (all RT thru MSP -- the weather has been great for FEB!).

Home on Saturday -- just in time to wonder why the teenagers never touch the snow shovels!

Here's a forecast for the storm at 6:00pm CST Friday.

I don't think that the storm will miss us...

I think you nailed it on the head. The MSP snow crews rotate through the runways trying to keep 2-3 runways open during storms. Even during substantial snowfall rates the snow crews can probably keep one runway open (while the other primary is cleared).

MSP never gets really large snowfall rates (too far away from the Gulf of Mexico and other moisture sources). Snowplow crews can normally keep up with the snowfall rates of the winter storms we get.

The biggest threat to MSP would be an aircraft incident like what happened last March. Then the airport was forced to close all the runways for a short while. The snow crews quickly opened the remaining two primary runways, however.

No, I didn't mean we'll stay dry this weekend. But I think this 12+" storm that the news is promoting won't happen.

I'll eat my words Monday if it happens, but I don't think it will.

Kids, Grandma and a companion fly out of MSP late Friday night to AMS (then to TLS). Where on NWA.com do I see flight progress? I'm more worried about their ability to get to the airport from Northern WI, they may have to leave very, very early. Then, if their 9:30pm flight is cancelled they will need to find hotel accomodations. Kids are only silver and Grandma has no status so they will not get hotel vouchers for weather, but I know the worldclub can give them some kind of discount pass to present at the hotel for a reduced rate. Does NWA post weather waivers or something several hours before a flight? If yes, they could just sit in Wisconsin and wait it out.

Thanks!
Sheila

@SchmutzigMSP: Ah, okay. Yes, I can see that happening too. Although we will for sure get 5", I would be willing to bet on that.
@ Sheila: If you are talking about flight status, that is right on the front of the NWA homepage. If you are talking about tracking the flight live, such as follow it on the map trackers, then you will have to use a third party site.

If weather gets bad enough, then yes, NWA will offer a weather waiver. However, as others have noted on this board NW has seemed to be offering the waiver later and later into the storm, rather than ahead of it. You'll just have to wait and see, but I would be fairly confident on their flight heading out on time tonight. We know that the storm is coming, and things should operate fairly smoothly. I can't say the same for the roads at rush hour though...

Thanks for the update

There was a thread on the Midwest forum a few weeks ago where someone who lived near MSP was wondering how far he'd have to go to use a snow mobile.... I think the question should have been when... ?

<lol>

Bob H