Road closures, no travel advisories issued for parts of Minnesota amid latest round of storm
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Conditions are worsening across many parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin as the latest round of the winter storm impacts the area.
After a brief break following the snowfall Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, another round entered the Twin Cities metro area early Wednesday afternoon as winter storm and blizzard warnings took hold on the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area. Those warning are set to remain in effect through much of the day Thursday. Click here to see the latest weather alerts.
With conditions expected to get worse throughout the Wednesday afternoon and evening hours, anyone outside of the Twin Cities area could be caught in a blizzard. Rural and open areas will likely experience whiteout conditions due to winds blowing powdery snow across the region.
Between 2-4 inches fell in the area from Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. Click here to see some more snow totals from Tuesday night through Wednesday morning.
The storm could drop as much as 1-2 inches per hour Wednesday night into Thursday, Minnesota’s Weather Authority says.
RELATED: Winter storm forces hundreds of flight cancellations at MSP
State Highway 77 at I-35E near Apple Valley on Feb. 22, 2023. (MnDOT Traffic Camera)
Nearly 400 flights in and out of MSP had been canceled as of 3 p.m. Wednesday.
As previously reported, airlines have issued travel waivers allowing travelers flying into or out of several airports in Minnesota and Wisconsin over the next couple of days to rebook flights.
RELATED: Airlines start issuing travel waivers with winter storm looming
The Minnesota Department of Transportation issued no-travel advisories for several areas Wednesday and even closed some roads. The no-travel advisory includes Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties.
The state highway closures included:
- Highway 270
- Highway 23
- Highway 75
- Highway 91
- Highway 59
- Highway 60
- Interstate 90 (from Worthington to the South Dakota border)
The department also closed all state highways south of Highway 14 in Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Pipestone and Murray counties due to intermittent whiteout conditions and drifts, and on all state highways and I-90 in Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, Watonwan, Nobles and Rock counties.
The Minnesota State Patrol announced there were 92 crashes across the state from 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Of those, eight involved injuries, and there were an additional 52 vehicle spinouts and one jackknifed semi. From 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the State Patrol reported another 136 crashes, 12 of which resulted in injuries, as well as 60 spinouts and two jackknifed semis.
Meteorologist Jonathan Yuhas explains the main impact of the storm will hit within the hours of 4 p.m. Wednesday to 4 a.m. Thursday, with snow totals between 9-12 inches and northeast winds reaching between 25-40 mph. Light snow is expected to fall during the day Wednesday, with about 1-3 inches expected, and northeast winds blowing at about 20-30 mph.
Thursday morning will see conditions improve, but a significant amount of snowfall will have accumulated at that point.
By the end of Thursday, the Twin Cities is expected to get between 14-24 inches of snow.
With the expected dangerous travel conditions, Walz on Tuesday afternoon declared a peacetime emergency and authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency relief services for any stranded travelers.
“Minnesotans are no strangers to extreme weather, but this storm could break records. Our agencies are collaborating closely to make sure we’re prepared – and Minnesotans have a part to play, too. Plan ahead, drive safe, and limit travel,” Walz said.
RELATED: Minnesota public safety officials stress preparation ahead of winter storm
Stay up to date with the latest radar and weather forecast at KSTP.com and on air with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
Officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul are asking residents to be proactive and get their vehicles off the roads so crews can plow. Minneapolis is opening extra parking for residents who need it while St. Paul has a few ramps offering “special overnight” parking discounts.
St. Paul said that night plowing will begin at 9 p.m. Wednesday, and that any vehicles not moved from night plow routes by that time will be ticketed and towed. Day plowing will begin at 8 a.m. Thursday. If there are no “Night Plow” signs posted on the block, it should be considered a day plow route.
RELATED: MnDOT prepares for winter storm, urges Minnesotans to limit travel
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is also asking Minnesotans to stay home if possible while the storm hits the next few days.
Anyone who must travel is urged to check 511mn or click here to better understand the latest road conditions.
RELATED: Minneapolis, St. Paul school districts plan e-learning, snow days due to winter storm
Most schools are closed or are switching to e-learning for the rest of the week. See the latest list of school closings here.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS will also update a list of snow emergencies as cities issue them. St. Paul declared back-to-back snow emergencies for Wednesday and Thursday while Minneapolis issued a three-day snow emergency. See the latest list here.
RELATED: Minneapolis, St. Paul join growing list of cities with snow emergencies
In the event of a power outage, report it to your electric company. See the list of electric companies here.
“MnDOT has more than 800 snowplows and 1,600 snowplow drivers across the state,” MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger said. “Our crews are prepared and ready, and will be working tirelessly day and night to keep highways as safe for travel as possible. We urge Minnesotans to plan ahead, stay home if you can, and check 511MN.org for latest road conditions near you.”
Minnesota state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, Department of Public Safety’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), and the Minnesota National Guard are closely coordinating to prepare.
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