Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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Dangerous cold once again gripped the Upper Midwest on Monday,  following 

 that caused multiple pileups, paralyzed highways, and stranded motorists and anglers.

A wind chill advisory remains in effect for eastern North Dakota and most of the northern half of Minnesota until early Tuesday. The combination of low temperatures and strong wind made it feel like the minus 40s in northern North Dakota and northern Minnesota early Monday.

Updraft blog


Several highways remain closed or blocked in southern Minnesota after the weekend storm that dumped about a foot of snow in some places.

https://twitter.com/kggutknecht/status/1099994182301687808

In some areas, snowplows were pulled off the roads because of continued whiteout conditions Sunday evening. Drivers who became stranded were sheltered throughout southeastern Minnesota. In Owatonna, the National Guard armory was sheltering about 150 people as of Sunday night, with a second shelter slated to open at the Trinity Lutheran Church. 

https://twitter.com/MnDPS_HSEM/status/1099852547647520768

Freeborn County emergency management director Rich Hall said the Albert Lea armory sheltered more than 50 people who were rescued from their cars late Saturday and early Sunday.


A jail in St. James, Minn., temporarily housed the St. Cloud State men's hockey team Sunday after its bus got stuck between two snowdrifts on a rural road.

In northern Minnesota, rescuers on snowmobiles and snowshoes battled 50-mph winds to rescue four anglers stranded on a snow-swept lake.

The anglers' snowmobiles became stuck more than 2 miles out on Greenwood Lake Sunday afternoon, Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. They were able to call police in Ontario, Canada, who alerted Cook County authorities.

The urge to get home meets a blizzard

Transportation officials have reopened Interstate 29 in northeastern North Dakota but they're continuing to warn travelers about poor driving conditions.

Cold is expected to linger across the Upper Midwest for the first couple weeks of March, with subzero lows the first week of March, said Twin Cities National Weather Service meteorologist Caleb Grunzke.

"It's just going to be cold," Grunzke said. "It's a very cold air mass."

More snow is also in the forecast for parts of Minnesota. The weather service says areas along Interstate 94 will see a couple inches of snow on Tuesday, while another system is expected to bring more widespread snow on Friday.

Weather and Climate News

The Associated Press

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MPR News Staff

In Owatonna Sunday night, the National Guard armory sheltered about 150 people. In Albert Lea, more than 50 people who were rescued from their cars took refuge at the local armory.

Blizzard conditions can be seen along a stretch of State Highway 19

Dangerous cold returns after weekend storm; several southern MN highways remain closed

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