Plows are out working to clear the way for drivers after several inches of snow fell overnight Tuesday and throughout Wednesday morning.

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for much of the 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS viewing area, with some parts of southern Minnesota in a Blizzard Warning. CLICK HERE for the latest forecast from Minnesota’s Weather Authority and HERE for the latest weather alerts.

The National Weather Service is advising people to avoid travel during the storm, but for those who do need to head out on the roads, you should expect another 1 to 3 inches of snow to fall throughout the morning.

Early Wednesday morning, Xcel Energy reported more than 8,000 customers are without power. Shortly after 9 a.m., company officials said that number was down to about 6,600 customers statewide, adding crews expect to have power fully restored by 4 p.m. You can find links to a number of providers by CLICKING HERE.

Around 9:30 a.m., Gov. Tim Walz announced he had authorized the Minnesota National Guard to help provide support for emergency storm operations. According to his office, members of the Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office have asked for help — including equipment and personnel — to help rescue stranded motorists.

“The road conditions are bad enough that individuals go off the road and get stranded there, then we, along with the sheriff’s department, the police department, or someone with the fire department, will go out and pick them up,” said Staff Sergeant Barry Maday with the Minnesota National Guard.

When asked about a stranded motorist that the National Guard helped, Sergeant Maday said, “The sheriff was able to pick them up, bring them down here to the armory and they sheltered here until it was safe to get back on the road.”

“We were getting reports from the county emergency coordinator that things were starting to go downhill and moving from west to east,” Maday said.

RELATED: Portion of some roads in south central Minnesota close amid snowstorm

Between 9 and 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul each issued a snow emergency. Other municipalities in the metro have done the same. You can find a full list by CLICKING HERE.

Early Wednesday morning, Metro Transit announced that due to road and weather conditions, it is suspending all bus services until further notice. However, the light rail and NorthStar trains are operating as normal. Later in the morning, Metro Mobility services were slowly returning, but riders should expect delays. In addition, riders are asked to either cancel or reschedule non-essential trips they were planning to take on Wednesday.

Hundreds of school districts have opted to either close, run on a delay, or have an e-learning day Wednesday. CLICK HERE for the latest list.

There have been several spun-out vehicles, as well as a jackknifed semi, which was reported on Highway 610 at Noble Parkway. As of 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the State Patrol reported there were 276 crashes, involving 23 with injuries, across the state since midnight. There were also more than 405 vehicles that went off the road, 48 spinouts and 35 jackknifed semis. You can watch a stream of traffic conditions during the morning rush in the video player below.

Freeborn County Sheriff Ryan Shea spoke to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Wednesday, saying, “We had 35 different calls for vehicles stuck, vehicles in the ditch or actual traffic crashes, all weather-related … The roads are still not great. I know county plows have been working since 5 a.m.; they’ll continue working.”

Across the Twin Cities metro area, 200 snowplows are in action. They ramped up work at 7 p.m. Tuesday, but with the wind and the amount of snow fallen so far, drivers could be facing challenges.

Albert Lea resident Phil Mandzinger said, “My personal street was plowed about fifteen minutes ago, so I’ve noticed a little slow, but getting them cleared, which is understandable,” when speaking to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS on Wednesday.

Plows are also out at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where officials say travelers should be checking with their airlines for the status of flights before heading to the airport. As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the airport reported 7.5 inches of snow.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says to stay 10 car lengths behind snowplows. The Minnesota State Patrol reminds drivers to turn on their headlights, wear their seat belts, put distractions away, and have an emergency kit in their vehicles.

An interactive map showing current driving conditions can be found below. If you’d like to share photos of you and your family or friends out in the snow, you can send to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS by CLICKING HERE.