Rochester Included in Another Winter Storm Watch
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - If the snowfall predicted to hit the region this weekend ends up at the high end of the range currently forecast by the National Weather Service, Rochester will be close to setting a new record for snowfall in any month.
A winter storm watch has been issued for the 24 hour period running from 6 PM Saturday to 6 PM Sunday. Forecasters say the track remains uncertain, but a developing major storm system has the potential to dump another 6 to 12 inches of snow in southeastern Minnesota.
A 12-inch snowfall would push the total for this month, which is currently 27.6-inches, above 39 inches, which would only be a couple inches shy of the record of 41.3 inches set in December 2010. Another foot of snow would also push the seasonal total into the list of the top 5 snowiest winters on record in Rochester. The seasonal total currently stands at 61.4 inches, which is almost 2-feet above what is considered the city's normal seasonal snowfall total.
On a related note, downtown Rochester will, once again, be a no parking zone overnight. Officials say city crews will be busy clearing the snow from Wednesday’s storm between midnight and 8 AM. Any vehicle left on a posted street or avenue will be ticketed and towed away.