Weather
Minnesota Snow Squalls: Duluth, MN Drivers Face Whiteout Risks
Minneapolis, MN – Imagine heading northwest on Interstate 94 for Thanksgiving, leaving the Twin Cities toward St. Cloud when a sudden wall of blowing snow sweeps across the highway. Within moments, se
By Audrey Sloan · 2026-11-14T11:22:16.715Z
Minneapolis, MN – Imagine heading northwest on Interstate 94 for Thanksgiving, leaving the Twin Cities toward St. Cloud when a sudden wall of blowing snow sweeps across the highway. Within moments, semitrailers fade into the whiteout, brake lights become difficult to see and a familiar holiday drive turns dangerous.
It's a winter weather hazard Minnesota motorists should understand as Thanksgiving approaches Thursday, Nov. 26.
According to the National Weather Service NWS , snow squalls are brief, intense bursts of snowfall that can produce gusty winds, near zero visibility and rapidly deteriorating road conditions. Sometimes informally described as "micro blizzards," these events can make highways dangerous within minutes.
Minnesota Highways Where Sudden Whiteouts Are a Concern Interstate 94, connecting Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Alexandria, Fergus Falls and Moorhead, is a major Thanksgiving travel corridor where blowing snow can sharply reduce visibility.
Interstate 35 through the Twin Cities, Hinckley and Duluth, Interstate 90 across southern Minnesota, and U.S. Highway 10 through central Minnesota are additional routes where winter conditions can change quickly.
Drivers traveling through Hennepin, Stearns, Douglas, Clay, St. Louis and Olmsted counties should monitor forecasts, especially when snow showers and strong winds are possible.
Open stretches of western and southern Minnesota are particularly vulnerable to blowing and drifting snow. Near Lake Superior, intense snow bands can also affect roads around Duluth.
Not every episode of blowing snow or lake effect snowfall is a snow squall, but all can create dangerous visibility problems.
What Happens When a Snow Squall Warning Is Issued? The NWS issues Snow Squall Warnings when dangerous snow squalls are occurring or imminent.
Warnings generally last 30 to 60 minutes and may trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts on compatible mobile phones.
Sudden whiteouts at interstate speeds increase the risk of multivehicle crashes, especially when drivers brake abruptly or follow too closely.
What Thanksgiving Travelers Should Do If a Snow Squall Warning affects a planned route, delay travel until conditions improve .
Drivers already on the highway should gradually reduce speed, increase following distance, use low beam headlights and avoid sudden braking.
If visibility becomes dangerously poor, safely exit the highway when possible rather than stopping in an active travel lane.
Before departing, check Minnesota 511 for road conditions, closures and travel advisories.
Official forecasts and warnings are available from NWS Twin Cities , NWS Duluth and NWS Grand Forks , which serve different portions of Minnesota.
This is a Thanksgiving travel preparedness reminder, not a prediction that snow squalls will strike Minnesota during the holiday. Recognizing how quickly visibility can disappear could help families make safer decisions on Minnesota highways.