NEXT Weather Alert: 1st wave of snow wanes early Wednesday, with mighty 2nd wave close behind

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 A closer look at Wednesday's forecast shows a lull in the heavy snow for about the first half of the day. 

But if you're thinking about using that time to run an errand or see friends and family, experts warn that might not be the best plan.

"If at all possible, avoid travel the next few days. If you can postpone travel, please do. Stay home, stay warm, stay safe," said MnDOT's Jacob Loesch during a news conference Tuesday.

State officials say the break in heavy snow is an opportunity for plow crews to get their job done. It can also lead to a false sense of confidence, says Kevin Reed with Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

"This confidence happens when we see a wave go through and there's a pause, and everybody's like, 'Oh, let's go, and now we have an opportunity.' But they're not realizing that the cleanup has to happen and other things have to happen, and then they get stuck in the second wave," Reed said.

In Anoka Tuesday, Sharon Smith ran her last errand before heading home to Oak Grove.

"I just have to try to make it back home without sliding into anybody else [laughs]!" Smith said.  

Eve and Me Boutique is among the businesses preparing to adjust hours during the snowstorm.

"We probably will close early. Thursday we'll see how it looks, but kind of play it by ear whether I even come in or not," said owner Kathy Eveland.  

Smith's planning to stay home during the storm.

"There's ice underneath everything, and I feel like there's going to be a lot of accidents, so it's not worth it, no," she said.

Jeremy McFarland plans to help his neighbors clear the snow, as he's done during every storm over the past decade.

"I just like it. It's an inexpensive thing to help people out with, you know. It's better than a snowblower, anyways [laughs]!" McFarland said.

The State Fire Marshal's Office reminds people who plan to use a space heater to plug it directly into the wall and keep it at least 3 feet from any flammables. It also recommended people shovel a path from their door during the storm in case of emergency.

The fire marshal also says it could take firefighters nearly four times longer to get to you during the storm.

Hundreds of spots in the Walker Art Museum ramp in Minneapolis were gone Tuesday, before the bulk of the snow thumps the Twin Cities.

"When I got here, there was no instructions so I just parked in an open spot and hoped for the best," said Minneapolis resident Caiti Murphy.

"I've been standing here dumbfounded kind of with my luck that I've been able to find a spot today. It's kind of insane," said resident Ronnie Holloway III.

The people doing laps in the ramp have other options. There are 1,600 free spaces available in Minneapolis for drivers needing an alternative to street parking.  

"I've never seen a mobilization of free parking resources like this, probably ever," he said. "It's a kind gesture, but I don't think it's going to be nearly enough."  

If there aren't enough spaces, there could be issues when Minneapolis declares a snow emergency Wednesday.

"We will ticket and tow, but the important thing is we're giving you the information now to be able to get your vehicle off that snow emergency route well before 9 p.m. [Wednesday] night," said Minneapolis Public Works Director Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

It's the same deal in St. Paul, and that city is also opening eight free parking ramps starting Wednesday afternoon.

"I can't even begin to fathom how long the lines will be in the impound lot after this snowstorm," Holloway said.

There was some confusion Tuesday as to how long it's OK to leave cars in these Minneapolis lots. City officials say they will remain free until next Tuesday.

This week's massive storm is shutting down schools across Minnesota, including the state's three largest districts.

With historic snow totals expected, parents started planning as schools shut down and went to e-learning or snow days.

"My wife actually flew out of town today, so she was very much making sure the kids had their stuff ready to go," parent Ryan Russek said.

Their house is split, with two kids at Mounds View Public Schools with cancelled class; two others at Spring Lake Park will be learning from home; plus one parent working from home.

"It makes it difficult for blended families to really make a consistent plan," Russek said.

"I think the first few hours will be pretty quiet and pretty low key, but after that it's gonna get pretty rowdy [laughs]!" seventh grader Lily Engelke said.

Districts across the state made their own decisions on how to handle the incoming snow, like in Minneapolis.

"We're grateful that our students at Minneapolis Public Schools can keep learning even during severe weather," said Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox.  

St. Paul sent devices sent home for online learning Wednesday and Thursday. And then Superintendent Joe Gothard made another announcement.

"On Friday we will have a snow day. Some people call it an old-school snow day," Gothard said.

It all impacts families. Parents say in order to juggle work and kids, some will have a TV day instead of e-learning, while others took a day off work to manage. Another mom said it's stressful, but added we learned a lot about what to do during the pandemic, and she'd rather have her son home safe with her.

Russek says he sympathizes with all the parents and caregivers doing their best this week. 

"I'll be like them, just trying to go hour by hour to make sure the kids have something to do," Russek said.

Click here for an updated list of school closures and e-learning days.

The Minnesota State Patrol says Tuesday between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., there were 68 crashes on state roads, with four resulting in injuries. There were also 26 spinouts and off-road accidents.

The Anoka-Hennepin School District has cancelled all classes and activities -- including e-learning -- and will close all buildings on Wednesday and Thursday. Click here for more information.

As the snow flies, airlines recommend that travelers don't. They offered vouchers so you can change your trip.

Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield was at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which is up and running Tuesday evening – but that could certainly change.  

As of 6:30 p.m., 137 flights have been canceled and 31 flights have been delayed at MSP.

Airport officials say MSP will remain open Tuesday night, but it's possible that the weather could halt air traffic Wednesday.

For doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers, preparations for the storm have been underway.

"...Asking staff, extra staff, to come in to back up the staff that maybe can't get in or won't be able to get in and then making plans for those who are stuck," said Dr. Joey Duren, Allina Heath EMS Chief Medical Director.

"We do have shovels on our ambulances. We have salt and sand mixtures as well to help us out. And we have a few sleds if we need to use them," Ryan Mayfield, Hennepin Healthcare EMS Assistant Chief, said.

The first wave of winter weather usually sends patient numbers down. More people need help in the aftermath.

"Falls are a huge one. I mean, we can't forget how much ice we have right now from that last rain underneath that snow," said Dr. Duren. "So we have seen so many falls over this past week and that's not going to go away with this snow."

Hennepin EMS says they usually average six calls an hour, but with yesterday's falls, they got between 20 and 30 calls.

That's one reason why first responders are asking everyone to stay home and off the roads if possible.

"Definitely the weather can impact our response," said Mayfield. "It might make it slightly slower for us to get people when needed by we triage all our calls and get to the most important ones first, the ones that are most sick or injured."

"We will get to you as soon as we can and as safely as we can, but if you don't need us, we'd appreciate saving us for somebody who really, really does especially during these hard times of getting around," Dr. Duren said.

Unless you need specialty care, ambulances plan on taking patients to the hospital closest to their homes. That way, they can get back into the rotation when needed.

Lunds & Byerlys stores in the Twin Cities will close early Wednesday due to the historic storm. 

Store officials say all locations will close Wednesday at 8 p.m., "with the intent to re-open" Thursday at 8 a.m.

Chanhassen Dinner Theater has cancelled and will reschedule all performances this Wednesday "for the safety of all performers, staff, and audience members." Click here for more information.

Preparation not panic, that's the key message from state emergency officials ahead of this storm.

The state fire marshal is warning ambulance and firetruck response times could be at least four times longer than normal due to severe weather.

We've all heard the adjectives -- historic, tough, severe, etc., and in Minnesota, these are not words thrown around lightly. 

"If you have a chance to not tempt fate, this would be the time to not tempt fate," said Colonel Matt Langer, Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol.

A warning shot not just from a veteran first responder, but a veteran Minnesotan. Langer shared the mic Tuesday with the State Fire Marshal and Head of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, among others.

"A half inch of snow in 40-mile-per-hour wind means you can't go anyway," Langer said.

"I think as Minnesotans, we all know that winter is a team sport," said Jacob Loesch with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. "We'll be doing our part to get the highways clear and a lot of the folks behind me will do their part to keep people safe. But the public has a huge role to play as well. We need your help."

"Really what we're saying is if there's a ray of sunshine between two storms, appreciate it from your house or wherever you are. Don't attempt to beat the next one," said Kevin Reed with Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

"You are going to be in your house for the next two days. What better time to check tour smoke alarm and CO detectors -- please make sure they are working," said Jim Smith, State Fire Marshal.

Bottom line: Stay safe, stay warm and stay at home.

Minneapolis Parks and Recreation says starting at 9 p.m. Tuesday night, all city ice rinks will close for the season. Click here for more information.

Right in the middle of this week's snow storm are two state high school tournaments.

The girls hockey tournament starts Wednesday at St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center, and girls gymnastics tournament starts Friday next door at Roy Wilkins Auditorium.  

Both parents and participants are more determined than ever to compete, despite the weather.

"We're here for hockey," said Warrord hockey dad Ben Kirkeby.

Kirkeby was on the road at 5 a.m. Tuesday to get St. Paul from Warroad, which is six hours north of the Twin Cities. He didn't want to miss watching his daughter play hockey in the state tournament and defend their championship title. Determination is nothing new for him.

"The entire sport's a dedication, right? Like it's the amount of money and the traveling, especially from Warroad," Kirkeby said. "It's in our blood, it's in our nature. And there's nothing better than watching kids enjoy what they love to do."  

William Sandy is also a Warroad hockey dad to two players. He is at peace knowing he made it to St. Paul before the snow started falling Tuesday.

"There's a lot of us that decided to come a couple days early just to beat the storm because, you know, you never know," Sandy said. "Let's not hope it's the worst storm ever, but if it is, so be it. We're here, we made it."

Both of these dads have daughters who are seniors playing their last game as Warroad Warriors, so the snow will not stop them.

"And if they cancel it, we're gonna have to rent some ice somewhere and make sure the teams that are down here we're gonna play some hockey," Kirkeby said.

The Minnesota State High School League says that both state tournaments this week are scheduled as planned, and the weather isn't going to impact them at this point. All tickets are non-refundable.

Click here to stay up to date with any potential tournament cancellations.

Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines says it has already cancelled 55 flights that were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and has issued weather wavers for certain passengers.

Airline officials say refunds will automatically be issued for cancelled domestic flight. As for international flights, the company says "customer service is working to proactively re-accommodate passengers to alternative Sun Country flights."

More metro cities have declared snow emergencies a snow starts to fall. As of 4 p.m., Plymouth, Robbinsdale, St. Louis Park and Elk River have all issued snow emergencies Here are details for those events:

Robbinsdale

The City of Robbinsdale declared a snow emergency, effective 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21. No on-street parking is permitted until roads are fully plowed from curb to curb. Vehicles remaining on the street during this time are subject to being ticketed and towed.

St. Louis Park

The City of St. Louis Park issued a snow emergency effective 10 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 until further notice. On-street parking is prohibited and violators are subject to being ticketed a towed. Garbage, recycling and organics collection set for Thursday, Feb. 23 will be delayed one day. Households with Friday collection will have pickup postponed to Saturday, Feb. 25.

Plymouth

The City of Plymouth declared a snow emergency effective Tuesday, Feb. 21 until roads are plowed curb to curb. Plowing is set to begin at 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Parking on city streets is prohibited. Violators may be ticketed and towed.

Elk River

The City of Elk River declared a snow event Tuesday, Feb. 21. Parking restrictions are in place, prohibiting overnight parking on all city streets and city-owned lots between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. Violators could be subject to ticket and tow.

Click here to see if your city is among the cities declaring snow emergencies.

St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter has declared that the city will be under a snow emergency this Wednesday and Thursday.

FIRST SNOW EMERGENCY

• WEDNESDAY 2/22: FIRST Snow Emergency in effect from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. with Night Plow Routes

• Residents, businesses, and visitors must move all cars off the Night Plow Routes, including all downtown streets and streets with signs posted "Night Plow Route" or "Night Plow Route This Side of Street."
• Follow all posted "no parking" signs. Do not park on NIGHT PLOW ROUTES.
• Ticketing and towing operations will be in effect for all Night Plow Routes from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
• Crews may not complete all Night Plow Routes with this first Snow Emergency

• THURSDAY 2/23: Day Plow Routes will be plowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Residents, businesses, and visitors must move all cars off the Day Plow Routes.
• Day Plow Routes are not marked by signs. Day Plow Routes are east-west residential streets and one side of the north-south residential streets. Do not park on DAY PLOW ROUTES.
• Ticketing and towing operations will be in effect for all Day Plow Routes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Because of the continuous snowfall, crews will also be plowing arterial and collector streets; Crews will not complete all Day Plow Routes before they need to shift to the Second Snow Emergency at 9 p.m.

SECOND SNOW EMERGENCY

• THURSDAY 2/23: SECOND Snow Emergency in effect from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. with Night Plow Routes

• Residents, businesses, and visitors must move all cars off the Night Plow Routes, including all downtown streets and streets with signs posted "Night Plow Route" or "Night Plow Route This Side of Street."
• Follow all posted "no parking" signs. Do not park on NIGHT PLOW ROUTES.
• Ticketing and towing operations will be in effect for all Night Plow Routes from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

• FRIDAY 2/24: Day Plow Routes will be plowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Residents, businesses, and visitors must move all cars off the Day Plow Routes.
• Day Plow Routes are not marked by signs. Day Plow Routes are east-west residential streets and one side of the north-south residential streets. Do not park on DAY PLOW ROUTES.
• Ticketing and towing operations will be in effect for all Day Plow Routes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WEEKEND CLEAN UP

• SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: Snow Emergency continues with plowing Day Plow Routes

• Public Works will continue to plow DAY PLOW ROUTES that were not completed on Friday. Do not park on Day Plow Routes that have not been plowed. Follow all posted "No Parking" signs.
• Ticketing and towing operations will be in effect for clean up phase. Vehicles that have not moved at all for either of the Snow Emergencies can be ticketed and towed.

This schedule is weather permitting and subject to change. For more information about Saint Paul snow operations and plowing updates, visit www.stpaul.gov/snow.

Due to the upcoming storm, Minneapolis Public Schools announced it will close buildings and move to e-learning for all students for the remainder of this week.

In addition, the district is shutting down all MPS-sponsored programs, including:

• Minneapolis Kids,
• MPS Community Education classes,
• adult education classes,
• early childhood programs,
• athletics,
• all other activities and events.

Also, the school board meetings scheduled for Tuesday night have been canceled and will be rescheduled.

Students are being told that their schools and/or teachers will update them with activities, and other logistics for remote learning.

"Although MPS is experiencing technical difficulties with some systems, technology that supports e-learning is still accessible, including Google Meet, Google Classroom, SeeSaw, Clever, Teams and Outlook," officials said.

Some families are scrambling to get shopping done before the weather closed in. At a Costco in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, 52-year-old Molly Schirmer stocked up on heat-and-serve dinners and Mexican Coca-Colas, knowing that she and her two teenagers might get stuck at home.

"The schools are already preparing to go online, so the kids will probably be home doing online school," Schirmer said of her 13- and 15-year-olds.

Hardware store owners said residents were generally taking the forecast in stride.

At C&S Supply, an employee-owned hardware store in Mankato, manager Corey Kapaun said demand was high for salt and grit, but not for shovels, snow blowers or other equipment. He attributed that to the fact that winter is two-thirds over.

Kapaun said he's sold 130 to 140 snow blowers and around 1,000 shovels this winter, when Mankato has seen more than 3 feet of snow.

"I think people are either prepared or they're not," Kapaun said. "It's usually the first snowfall of the year that gets a lot of attention. With a storm like this, I expected a little bit more, but we've already had a big year of snow already."

The Minnesota House and Senate passed resolutions on Tuesday, allowing the chambers to recess until Monday. Leaders said they took the step to ensure safety as a two-punch storm system heads toward Minnesota.

The state's constitution says lawmakers cannot adjourn for more than three days unless both chambers agree to it. The legislature takes this step when it pauses for spring break, but it rarely does so for severe weather.

Committee meetings at the capitol are canceled through the rest of the week starting Wednesday.

Even before the onset of the significant doses of snow, a number of cities in the metro area have already begun declaring snow emergencies.

As of 2 p.m., the cities of Brooklyn Park, Crystal, New Hope, Eden Prairie and Brooklyn Center had all issued snow emergencies. Here are details for those events:

Brooklyn Park

This means no on-street parking beginning at 11:00 p.m. on February 21 until a street has been plowed curb to curb. Vehicles that remain on the street after 11:00 p.m. may be ticketed and towed. Plowing will begin at 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday, February 22.

Crystal

The City of Crystal has declared snow parking restrictions effective Thursday, Feb. 23 at 12:01 a.m. During this period, parking is prohibited on all public streets and alleys until the snow has stopped accumulating and the street or alley has been plowed edge to edge. Vehicles parked on streets or alleys during snow emergencies may be tagged and/or towed at the owner's expense.

New Hope

The City of New Hope has declared a snow emergency beginning at 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb 22. During a snow emergency, on-street parking is prohibited until snow subsides and streets are fully plowed from curb to curb. Vehicles remaining on the street during this time are subject to being ticketed and towed. 

Eden Prairie

The City of Eden Prairie has declared a snow emergency effective Tuesday, Feb. 21 through Friday, Feb. 24. Once the snow emergency begins, on-street parking is prohibited until noon on Friday. The snow emergency starts as. soon as snow accumulation reaches two inches.

Brooklyn Center

The City of Brooklyn Center has declared a snow emergency beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21. During the snow emergency, on-street parking is prohibited until roads are plowed curb to curb. Vehicles remaining on the street during this time are subject to being ticketed and towed.

Click here to see if your city is among the cities declaring snow emergencies.

St. Paul Public Schools will hold an e-learning day Wednesday and Thursday, and have a snow day on Friday.

Multiple schools are already reporting delays, e-learning days, and cancellations as a potential record-breaking winter storm looms. 

Check the latest here. 

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday said the Minnesota National Guard will be ready to respond to the impending snowstorm if needed.

Walz made comments on the winter storm during a press conference on child care in St. Paul. He said he's issued an executive order to the National Guard, allowing them to preposition equipment and put their troops on alert. The Minnesota State Patrol and Minnesota Department of Transportation are also on alert. 

Read more here. 

This week could bring about one of the top 20 snowstorms on record in the Twin Cities, if not top 10.

If not top 3.

Take a look at the top 6 below: 

Read more here. 

WCCO employee Kate Link was at Costco as the store opened Tuesday morning, and captured lines outside the front doors as people queued to stock up before this week's major snow event.

With the roads expected to be bad the next few days, this morning may be your best chance to stock up on items you'll need for the storm.

On top of groceries, make sure you have enough medication. In case the power goes out, have an alternative heat source, batteries, flashlights and a weather radio. It's a good idea to fill up your car's gas tank, too. Have jumper cables, a shovel, cell phone charger and plenty of extra warm clothing. 

Click here for a full winter car checklist.