Public works crews pre-treated many roads in the metro area, making it easier for plows Friday as they also prepared for a potentially much bigger storm Sunday through Tuesday.
The Twin Cities are bracing for up to 16 inches of snow this weekend.
On March 22, 2024, the Twin Cities experienced a winter storm that dropped several inches of snow overnight. The first round of snow was expected to wind down across Minnesota by Sunday night and all eyes were on the weekend storm which could drop up to 16 inches of snow in some areas. Public works crews pre-treated many roads in the metro area, making it easier for plows Friday as they also prepared for a potentially much bigger storm Sunday through Tuesday.
The first in a one-two punch of winter weather dropped several inches of snow overnight across much of Minnesota
Snow totals began rolling in mid-morning, peaking in the east-central part of the state. The National Weather Service reported 8 inches in Clear Lake, Bradford and Luxemburg, 7.5 inches in St. Francis and Chisago City, 5.9 inches in Otsego and 5.5 inches in Ham Lake
Most of the mid and south Twin Cities metro saw around 3 inches
Public works crews were able to pre-treat many roads in the metro area, making it a bit easier for plows Friday as they also prepare for a potentially much bigger storm Sunday through Tuesday.
St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw warned about expected heavy snow, possible rain and strong winds in the Twin Cities
The National Weather Service said a second, prolonged storm could drop 6 to 12 inches of snow across much of the state
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the National Weather Service and St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw as sources for information about snowfall and road conditions. Additionally, the author uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the impact of heavy snow on drivers in Minnesota.
The first round of snow dropped several inches of snow overnight across much of Minnesota
St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw warned about expected heavy snow, possible rain and strong winds in the Twin Cities
There were 175 crashes between 5 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday
Bias
(85%)
The article contains language that dehumanizes and demonizes white supremacists. The author uses the phrase 'white supremacists online celebrated' which implies that these individuals are not human beings with their own thoughts and feelings but rather a monolithic group of evil people who should be shamed.
Public works crews were able to pre-treat many roads in the metro area, making it a bit easier for plows Friday as they also prepare for a potentially much bigger storm Sunday through Tuesday.
St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw warned about expected heavy snow, possible rain and strong winds in the Twin Cities.
The first in a one-two punch of winter weather dropped several inches of snow overnight across much of Minnesota, leaving slippery roads for the Friday morning commute and accounting for nearly 300 crashes and spinouts within 11 hours.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author of the article is MPR News Staff and they have a conflict of interest on several topics including winter weather, snow storms, traffic accidents, road conditions in Minnesota. The National Weather Service and St. Paul Public Works Director Sean Kershaw are also mentioned as having an impact on these topics.
The article mentions that the National Weather Service is closely monitoring the situation and providing updates on weather conditions across Minnesota.
Winter Storm Ronnie made an appearance in the Twin Cities.
Time-lapse footage caught the moment bands of snow began to arrive.
The skyline disappears and reappears as the storm progresses.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in that it implies the snowfall was heavy and severe when in fact there are no indications of this from the time-lapse footage. The title also exaggerates the severity of the storm.
> March 22, 2024 Winter Storm Ronnie made an appearance in the Twin Cities.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that the weather forecast is from The Weather Channel without providing any evidence or context for their credibility. Additionally, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used in the title and body of the article such as 'Watch Minneapolis Disappear Behind Bands Of Arriving Snow' which creates a sense of urgency and fear.
The Weather Channel
Winter Storm Ronnie made an appearance in the Twin Cities.
Parts of Midwest will see more snow in spring's first week than all of winter
Snowfall totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches over the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area during that time
The upcoming quarterly refunding update from the US Treasury will provide information on how much bond supply there will be
Accuracy
Snow totals ranged from 2 to 5 inches over the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area during that time
The National Weather Service reported 8 inches in Clear Lake, Bradford and Luxemburg, 7.5 inches in St. Francis and Chisago City, 5.9 inches in Otsego and 5.5 inches in Ham Lake
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that it will be a normal winter season when in fact it's spring and there should be no snow at all. Secondly, the author states that back-to-back storms are sending some cities as much snow as they had all winter which is not true since this is only one week of spring. Thirdly, the article uses sensationalism by stating that Mother Nature has her seasons mixed up and using phrases like 'potent', 'far-reaching' and 'troublesome'. Fourthly, the author states that widespread snowfall totals of over half a foot are likely in multiple north-central states which is not true since it's only one week of spring. Fifthly, the article uses selective reporting by focusing on disruptions to daily life and ignoring other impacts such as damage to infrastructure or loss of life. Lastly, the author uses science and health articles that imply facts without linking to peer-reviewed studies which have not been retracted.
The article focuses on disruptions to daily life but ignores other impacts such as damage to infrastructure or loss of life
The title implies a normal winter season when in fact it's spring
Widespread snowfall totals of over half a foot are likely in multiple north-central states which is not true since it's only one week of spring
Mother Nature has her seasons mixed up and using phrases like 'potent', 'far-reaching'
Back-to-back storms are sending some cities as much snow as they had all winter, but this is only one week of spring
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Weather Prediction Center warned of disruptions to daily life due to the storm. This statement implies that the warning is a reliable source and does not provide any evidence or reasoning for this claim.
The first storm dropped several inches of snow from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes, beginning Thursday night and continuing into Friday morning.
Bias
(85%)
The article is reporting on a weather event that has caused disruptions to daily life in the central US. The author uses language such as 'Mother Nature has her seasons mixed up' and 'back-to-back storms are sending some cities as much snow as they had all winter', which implies an extreme or unreasonable view of the weather event. Additionally, there is a focus on widespread disruptions to daily life caused by the storm, rather than just reporting on the weather itself.
back-to-back storms are sending some cities as much snow as they had all winter
Mother Nature has her seasons mixed up
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
There are multiple examples of conflicts of interest in this article. The author is Mary Gilbert who works for CNN and the Weather Prediction Center which could compromise her ability to report on weather events objectively.
Mary Gilbert is an employee at CNN and the Weather Prediction Center, both organizations have a vested interest in reporting on severe thunderstorms as they attract viewership.
The article mentions that parts of Midwest will see more snow in spring's first week than all of winter which could be seen as sensationalist or misleading by some viewers.
Winter Storm Watch from SUN 7:00 AM CDT until TUE 7:00 AM CDT, Benton County, Carlton/South St. Louis Counties, Central St. Louis County
Snow totals in various counties including but not limited to:
Benton County: 12 inches
Carlton/South St. Louis Counties: 8-10 inches
Accuracy
Central St. Louis County: 6-8 inches
Clay County: 7-9 inches
Cottonwood County:
Deception
(0%)
The article is deceptive in that it implies the snowfall was only for one round when in fact there were multiple rounds of snow throughout the day. The title also mentions 'first round' which further reinforces this false impression.
Winter Storm Watch from SUN 7:00 AM CDT until TUE 7:00 AM CDT, Benton County, Carlton/South St. Louis Counties, Central St. Louis County, Clay County,
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that a Winter Storm Watch has been issued for certain counties in Minnesota without providing any context or explanation of what this means or why it is relevant to the reader. Secondly, there are multiple instances where dichotomous depictions are used to describe weather conditions such as 'sunny' and 'snowy', which oversimplifies a complex situation and can be misleading. Lastly, inflammatory rhetoric is used in phrases like 'first round of spring snow' which creates an emotional response rather than providing accurate information.
Winter Storm Watch from SUN 7:00 AM CDT until TUE 7:00 AM CDT
