Traffic flowing, but icy weather to return today

Traffic is flowing smoothly around Minnesota for now, although the weather is expected to take a turn for the worse as the day goes on.

Mark Fishbach is the superintendent of clear roads for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

"We had crews in at midnight. They were out on the road; they were applying chemicals starting at 5 a.m. this morning," Fishbach said. "That's when the first sign of drizzle came into the Metro District, and then I got another shift starting at noon today, that will work until midnight."

Fishbach said he doesn't expect the roads to be as treacherous as they were over the weekend.

MnDOT spokesman J.P. Gillach said salt and sand trucks have been on duty since long before dawn.

"Crews have been out watching and looking for areas to take care of, particularly ramps and bridge decks," Gillach said. "Overall traffic is flowing fairly well. Roadways are more or less dry."

MnDOT and the state patrol have reported a handful of accidents and spinouts this morning.

The evening commute could be much more difficult, however. MPR Meteorologist Paul Huttner says the state can expect a mix of ice, sleet and snow today.

"I expect 2 to 4 inches in west central, north central Minnesota," Huttner said. "Maybe an inch or so in the metro, but that inch will be mixed with some freezing rain once again."

Freezing rain struck Saturday night nearly four hours before MnDOT's private weather forecaster predicted. Fischbach said treating roads too early would be ineffective, and that icy roads made it even more difficult for salt and sanding crews to catch up with the deteriorating travel conditions.