Winds vex travel, driving conditions decline in some areas

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for southern Minnesota west of Interstate 35 as well as for parts of the Red River Valley.

Officials have warned against traveling in northwest Minnesota and across southern Minnesota from South Dakota to Wisconsin because of difficult driving conditions with blowing snow and reduced visibility.

At 3 p.m., MnDOT said state highways in six southwest Minnesota counties were closing immediately, though I-90 remained open for now.

Interstate 90 is expected to be particularly difficult. Roads should be in decent shape, but drivers may not be able to see where they're going, said Jed Falgren, the Minnesota Department of Transportation's area maintenance engineer for south central Minnesota.

"Our greatest concern comes later this afternoon as winds are forecast to pick up in south central Minnesota, and then as we get into evening darkness," he said.

Snow has been falling across much of Minnesota as an Alberta clipper makes its way through the region, expected to leave as much as 4 inches of snow in some places. But it's going to be the wind — up to 50 miles an hour — that will make travel truly dangerous, officials say.