At a Glance

Parts of the northern tier of states have received their first accumulating snow of the season.This includes cities such as Minneapolis/St. Paul and Fargo, North Dakota.The heaviest snow has fallen near the Lake Superior snowbelts.

The first accumulating snow of the season blanketed a swath oftheupper Midwest and western Great Lakesas a low-pressure system originatingin the Canadian Rockies swept eastward across those regions.

As of late evening Friday, the highest snowfall total reported is 10.9inches Scanlon, Minnesota.Duluth, Minnesota reported 10.2 inches of the white stuff,which is an October single day snowfall record. The previous snowiest October day in Duluth was October 23, 1933, when 10.0 inches of snow fell.

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On Thursday, despite the lighter snow accumulations, driven by wind gusts to 60 mph, near whiteout conditions were observed in parts of eastern North Dakota and far northwest Minnesota, making travel dangerous.

Winds gustedas high as 64mph in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and 59mph in Fargo on Thursday, leading to areas of blowing snow. Strong wind gusts were also reported farther east on Friday, including near Duluth, Minnesota where a gust of 63 mph was recorded.

The snow and wind have resulted in hazardous travel conditions in some areas farther east, including Ashland, Wisconsin where a local area emergency was issued midday Friday where portions of U.S. Highway 2 and State Highway 13 were closed due to extreme weather conditions.Minnesota State Patrolreported hundredsof vehicle accidents including 2 fatal crashes.

Interestingly, parts of the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area reported sleet pellets falling from the sky on Friday afternoon while temperatures were in the mid to upper 40s. How does that happen? A layer of very dry, cold air was present behind the cold front at a few thousand feet off the ground, which allowed rain to freeze within that layer, and then melt somewhat very near the ground. No sleet was recorded at the Dallas International Airport.

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Sleet also fell in Little Rock, Arkansas on Friday, which is recorded as snowfall in weather records, resulting in the earliest snowfall on record here. The previous record was set on Oct. 28, 1925.

If that wasn't enough, a second cold front and jet stream plunge will drop out of Canada into the Midwest early next week, with the potential of bringing more snow over the northern tier and Great Lakes in time for .

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Interestingly, October snow in the Twin Cities has been relatively rare this century. This is the first time it has happened there in eight years.

Last year, the first measurable snow in Minneapolis/St. Paul didn't occur until . The previous season (2015-16), it wasn't until Thanksgiving Day, almost one month later than this upcoming snow event.