Snow continues, traffic still slow on slippery roads

Slippery roads during rush hour led to 74 crashes in the Twin Cities area, the Minnesota State Patrol said Tuesday.

Traffic was still slow in many parts of the metro area after 9 a.m. -- the time rush hour usually ends -- as authorities worked to clear crashes and spinouts.

Authorities said there were nine crashes involving injuries, and 53 vehicles were reported off the road.

Statewide, the total was 177 crashes and 173 vehicles off the road between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. A total of 35 injury crashes were reported, but there were no fatalities, the State Patrol said.

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Westbound Interstate 94 between Minneapolis and St. Paul and both directions of Highway 100 and Highway 169 in the western Twin Cities were especially congested during rush hour.

The National Weather Service expected up to two more inches of snow to fall throughout the day. The snow was expected to taper off by Tuesday evening.

The Twin Cities area hadn't received more than a few inches by Tuesday morning, but other parts of Minnesota were dealing with a lot more. Fairmont reported 7 inches, and Winnebago and North Mankato had 6.5 inches. Redwood Falls had 5 inches.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported difficult driving conditions south and east of the Twin Cities in places like Faribault, Dodge Center and Albert Lea.