MPR News AM Update: Plan for a snowy commute, bitter cold

Good morning and happy Monday. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

Overnight snow continues this morning, then it’ll be bitter cold. The Twin Cities, central Minnesota and parts of northern Minnesota are in the snow zone into the afternoon. It’ll be windy, too, and freezing drizzle will mix into the snowfall in parts of greater Minnesota. At night, Twin Cities lows will hover around minus 5. Elsewhere, lows from minus 15 to zero. More on Updraft. | Forecast

Younger police officers are more likely to fire their guns. Reports MPR News’ Jon Collins: “Police officers who fired their weapons in fatal shootings in the last five years generally had less time on the job than typical officers licensed in the state. The median officer who opened fire had been licensed for just about seven years, while the typical active officer in the state has twice that experience.”

Is St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul closing? The facility’s owner, Fairview Health Services, is looking to cut costs as it loses millions of dollars. It appears that major changes, if not closure, could be in store for St. Joe’s. But staff and health advocates worry that losing the mental health and substance use beds could be a blow to St. Paul and beyond.

The Gophers know their bowl game destination. They’ll go for their fourth straight bowl win against Auburn in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day in Tampa, Fla.

A North Dakota county could become the first to ban refugees. The commissioners of Burleigh County, where the state capital Bismarck is, vote Monday on whether to use President Trump’s recent executive order allowing local governments to bar new refugees.

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• Wednesday a.m. update: How to help others during the pandemic
• Tuesday a.m. update: Bars, restaurants, gyms must close
• Monday a.m. update: All K-12 schools must close by Wednesday