Will the weather outside be frightful?

That was the question on the minds of many southern Minnesotans as a storm that, as of Thursday afternoon, had been manageable, even during the days of last-minute shopping.

Beth Doyle of Doyle’s Hallmark at Northbridge Mall in Albert Lea said Thursday was a typical Christmas Eve in spite of the predictions of inclement weather.

“If they could get out of the driveway, they were coming to the mall,” she said.

The day at the mall started quietly like usual but then became busy as the lunch hour neared.

“There were lots of dads and kids,” Doyle said.

By 2 p.m., it was calm again as people prepared for the evening plans, she said.

The snowstorm’s snow and sleet make for a slushy Christmas Eve. But by the time you read this newspaper on Christmas Day, the forecast of the National Weather Service might have come true.

For Christmas, it calls for snow. Heavy snow. About 3 to 5 inches of snow on Christmas Day, but between 16 and 22 inches of it from the entire three- or four-day storm.

As of Thursday afternoon, Albert Lea had about 4 1/2 inches from this snowstorm. More was expected for Thursday night. Much more.

But KIMT meteorologist Adam Frederick said though the area will get snow, it probably won’t be as high as the National Weather Service predicts as a result of freezing rain. The more rain, the less snow.

Austin, for instance, only had 2 inches of snow, largely because it has been wetter there.

Either way, it might be a matter of convenience that there is no school and no work and reduced travel on Friday because a lot of sectors of society might have been closed due to the weather anyway.

The winter storm warning is in effect until 6 a.m. Saturday.

Tom Stangeland, hydro-meteorological technician for the National Weather Service, said the storm is coming in patches.

“There may be some breaks, but I don’t think anyone can time them right now,” he said Wednesday night.

Snowfall totals from around the area as of Thursday morning for this storm.

City, Inches

Prior Lake: 8.5

Faribault: 8

Northfield: 7.5

Lakeville: 7

Mankato: 6.5

Chanhassen: 6.2

St. Peter: 6

St. Paul: 5.7

Rush City: 5

Fairmont: 5

Zumbrota: 5

Winnebago : 4.5

Albert Lea: 4.5

Kiester: 4.5

Willmar: 4.3

Ellendale: 4

Sauk Centre: 3.5

Austin: 2

He also said the storm might stick around beyond Saturday.

“On Saturday, the storm hasn’t left us,” Stangeland said. “It’s light snow … but it’s still not going to be a great day.”

People considering travel this weekend are advised to watch for reports on how road conditions are once the storm passes.

Going north?

Authorities said travel in Duluth and northeastern Minnesota was to be “life threatening” after dark on Thursday and people should stay off the roads in that part of the state.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is citing the National Weather Service warning.

Significant drifting is expected. The area has gotten a few inches of snow so far, and winds are expected to pick up later in the afternoon. State officials say travel there will be difficult through Friday.

The State Patrol reported hundreds of crashes and vehicles sliding off roads statewide, with one death and 16 injuries, none serious. A crash in Renville County in western-central Minnesota killed 60-year-old Margaret A. Buckley of Eau Claire, Wis.

The National Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for parts of Oklahoma, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Texas. It cautioned that travel would be extremely dangerous in those areas through the weekend and that drivers should pack a winter survival kit including flashlight and water in case of emergency.

Slippery roads were blamed for at least 12 deaths nationwide and officials cautioned they would only get worse, particularly after dark.

Winter storm warnings were in effect across the the Plains and the Midwest, with a foot or two of snow possible in some areas by Christmas Day.

Scott Blair, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Topeka, Kan., said the wind was becoming a serious issue in central Kansas, with wind speeds of up to 25 mph and gusts reaching 40 mph.

“The wind is killer, especially when you’re empty,” trucker Jim Reed said during a stop in Omaha, Neb. “Anything that’s boxed, like a refrigerator trailer like I have … becomes like a giant sail in the wind.”

Reed said he was heading to Lincoln to pick up a load of beef before he could start his long holiday weekend.

In eastern Kansas, Tony Glaum was traveling with his wife and daughter to his parents’ home north of Manhattan. He said they were thinking about staying overnight, rather than making their usual Christmas Eve trip back home.

Glaum, 43, of Leavenworth, said he didn’t have any delays — until he found himself behind a plow salting the highway. He and his daughter noticed a biting chill in the air.

“You can certainly feel the air. It feels like it’s stirred up in a weird way,” he said. “It just feels wrong.”

Still, he said, he’s looking forward to a white Christmas: “I think snow would be pretty nice.”

Nearly 100 scheduled flights from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were canceled Thursday and dozens more were delayed. The Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City shut down one of its three runways and canceled nearly 30 flights.

Many travelers took the disruptions in stride.

David Teater, 58, and Aaron Mayfield, 29, both of Minneapolis, were flying to Los Angeles on their way to Australia for a diving vacation. They had given themselves an extra day for travel, expecting they would be delayed somewhere along the way, and arrived at the Minneapolis airport with reading material and extra snacks.

“I’m thinking the runway should be cleared,” Teater predicted.

Nick Shogren, 56, and his 17-year-old daughter, Sophie, of Park Rapids, were flying to Cancun, Mexico, for a 10-day vacation in Isla Mujeres. They drove to Minneapolis on Wednesday, their usual three-hour drive taking an extra hour because of the snowstorm, and stayed at a hotel.

Shogren said they were looking forward to doing nothing but relaxing “if we can just get out of here.”

The storm began in the southwest — where blizzard-like conditions shut down roads and caused a pileup involving 20 vehicles in Arizona on Tuesday — and spread east and north, causing weather advisories from the Rocky Mountains to Lake Michigan.