Temperatures to fall throughout the day, wet roads expected to become slippery
UPDATE 10:20 a.m.: The Minnesota Department of Transportation lifted the no travel advisories for all southcentral Minnesota counties, including the following:
- Chippewa
- Kandiyohi
- Lac qui Parle
- Lincoln
- Lyon
- McLeod
- Meeker
- Murray
- Pipestone
- Yellow Medicine
- Redwood
- Renville
MnDOT adds that while visibility has improved, roads in southwest and west central Minnesota are still covered with snow and ice, making travel conditions slippery.
Motorists should reduce speed and use caution if they choose to travel in impacted areas.
Meanwhile, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office is requesting that nobody travels in the southern half of the county, especially not in the southwest quadrant.
Deputies are reportedly fielding multiple reports of vehicles that are stalled or stranded.
PREVIOUS UPDATE: MnDOT advises “no unnecessary travel” on state highways in parts of southcentral Minnesota as strong winds and blowing snow reduce visibility on the road.
The areas included in the no travel advisory are listed below:
- Highway 4 from Sleepy Eye to Fairfax
- Highway 68 from Highway 4 to Morgan
- Highway 14 from Sanborn to Sleepy Eye
MnDOT said road conditions in theses areas have deteriorated and the lack of visibility makes travel dangerous. There are also reports of whiteout conditions.
The view from a MnDOT snow plow just after 6 a.m. Wednesday morning on Highway 12 near Independence (Photo Courtesy: MnDOT).
Minnesota State Patrol shared a video showing the dangerous conditions on I-94 about 10 miles east of Moorhead.
Motorists should avoid these parts until conditions improve.
INITIAL REPORT: Sloppy conditions and wet roads are creating some slick spots that are expected to impact travel Wednesday.
Roads west of the Twin Cities are already covered in snow, and a light dusting is expected in the metro area later in the day.
Cold air and strong winds are also expected in the morning, which KSTP Meteorologist Ken Barlow said is typical when nearby areas have drastically different temperatures.
About a half inch of snow will likely come through the Twin Cities during the morning commute, but it’s forecasted to move on as winds carry it southeast.
The temperature is just above freezing Wednesday morning, but will drop into the 20s by noon.
Winds should calm by the evening hours, with comparatively colder air settling into the evening. A full video forecast can be found at the bottom of this article.
Blizzard warnings for blowing snow are in place in the western part of the state, with visibilities possibly as low as a quarter of a mile.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued no travel advisories early Wednesday morning in 12 southwest Minnesota Counties due to zero visibilities:
- Chippewa
- Kandiyohi
- Lac qui Parle
- Lincoln
- Lyon
- McLeod
- Meeker
- Murray
- Redwood
- Renville
- Pipestone
- Yellow Medicine
MnDOT said conditions will “be reevaluated at daylight” but advised no travel until that point.
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