A winter storm warning issued for Albert Lea was upgraded to a blizzard warning Friday afternoon.

The National Weather Service has issued the blizzard warning for Albert Lea, along with much of central and south central Minnesota, which goes into effect midnight Friday. The watch expires early Sunday morning.

Up to 14 inches of snow is predicted in parts of the warning area, with totals between 5 and 7 inches are being predicted for the Freeborn County area.

Heavy snow is expected to move in from the west this evening, along with freezing rain and sleet. Ice accumulations could reach up to one-tenth of an inch before changing over to just snow by Saturday morning.

Driving conditions could get dicey as winds are expected to pick up as the storm gathers strength on Saturday, with wind speeds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 45 mph could cause reduced visibilities into Saturday night.

Although snow is expected to taper off Saturday afternoon into Saturday night, windy conditions paired with plummeting temperatures could result in dangerously low wind chills of -20 to -35 degrees.

The precipitation is expected to move out early Sunday morning, however, windy and cold conditions are predicted, with a high of -2 degrees.

NWS advises checking road conditions before travelling.