Rain, Freezing Rain and Snow: Could Be an Interesting Friday in Fridley

Watch out for wet and possibly icy roads around Fridley on Friday, with rain, freezing rain and snow coming in a couple waves, according to a National Weather Service Winter Weather Advisory.

See also:

• Pedestrian Hurt in Apparent Hit-and-Run on Central Ave. at 53rd Ave.
• Check current traffic conditions at Fridley Patch's Commute feature.

The National Weather Service forecast for Fridley's Friday:

Snow and freezing rain, becoming all snow after 1pm. High near 34. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime ice accumulation of 0.1 to 0.2 of an inch possible. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Here's the outline from the NWS Winter Weather Advisory, announced at 4:11 a.m. Friday and in effect throught 1 a.m. Saturday:

* TIMING: FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET WILL SPREAD INTO THE AREA EARLY THIS MORNING AND GRADUALLY TURN TO SNOW BY LATE MORNING. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK FROM PRECIPITATION EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...ANOTHER ROUND WILL PUSH IN AND PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE SECOND ROUND IS EXPECTED TO BE ALL SNOW.

* ICE ACCUMULATION: UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH THIS MORNING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION: 2 TO 5 INCHES...WITH THE HEAVIEST ACCUMULATIONS NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94.

* MAIN IMPACT: ICE AND SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

More detail from the advisory:

...WINTRY MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND SNOW BECOMING ALL SNOW BY LATE MORNING... ...A BREAK FROM PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED LATE THIS MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON BEFORE ANOTHER ROUND THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... .A WINTRY MIX IS SPREADING ACROSS THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING. INITIALLY...WARMER TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL CAUSE PRECIPITATION TO TAKE THE FORM OF MAINLY FREEZING RAIN...WHICH COULD AT TIMES BE MIXED WITH SLEET. THIS WINTRY MIX WILL GRADUALLY TRANSITION TO ALL SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA...INCLUDING SAINT CLOUD AND ALEXANDRIA BY 7 OR 8 AM. THE TRANSITION TO SNOW WILL SPREAD SOUTHWARD...WITH MINNEAPOLIS AND EAU CLAIRE CHANGING OVER BY LATE MORNING. THERE WILL BE A LULL IN THE PRECIPITATION DURING THE LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW DEVELOPING THEREAFTER. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATIONS WILL RANGE FROM A TRACE TO A TENTH OF AN INCH THIS MORNING. BY SATURDAY MORNING...SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL RANGE FROM 3 TO 5 INCHES ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94...WITH AROUND 2 INCHES SOUTH.

Fatal Crash Thursday; Hit and Run Friday
On Thursday the problem was snow on top of ice. A three-car crash on Highway 65 in Blaine proved fatal for one Fridley woman and seriously injured another Fridley woman.

In the early hours of Friday, a vehicle struck a pedestrian on Central Avenue NE in Fridley, according to a report at the Police Clips page on Facebook.

Fridley Police Lt. Mike Monsrud confirmed that report.