Slippery spots lead to morning crashes on metro roads
Authorities say slippery roads are to blame for a dozen vehicles in the ditch and at least two rollover crashes in the Twin Cities area this morning.
Less than an inch of snow fell in the metro area overnight, but it was enough to make some roads slippery. Interstate highways were mostly wet, but some exit and entrance ramps were slippery. Most side streets were covered in snow.
Away from the Twin Cities, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported the worst driving conditions west of St. Cloud. MnDOT said travel on Interstate 94 between St. Joseph and Osakis was dangerous due to heavy snow.
MnDOT spokeswoman Judy Jacobs in Brainerd said only 3 or 4 inches of snow fell, but windy conditions and cold air made it worse.
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"We have about 20 mile-an-hour winds going on out there, so we've got blowing and drifting snow, limited visibility. It's windy. It's cold," she said. "It's about 20 degrees right now and we had temps in the 40s yesterday. So we went from slush snow to ice covered roads today."
Difficult driving conditions were reported in the western half of the state from Iowa to the Canadian border.
The National Weather Service said snow could continue in the Twin Cities this morning, but accumulation will likely be less than 3 inches.
An area west of the Twin Cities -- including Willmar, Morris and Fergus Falls -- received a blast of snow and remained under a winter storm warning. Up to a foot of snow was reported.
(MPR reporter Elizabeth Dunbar contributed to this report.)