Power restored to tens of thousands of Minnesota households
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Utilities have restored power to the tens of thousands of Minnesota households that lost power in the wake of last week's massive winter storm.
That slow-moving storm finally began moving out of the region Saturday, the light, lingering snowfall a contrast to the heavy, wet snow that helped bring down trees and power lines.
Utilities warn some households will likely lose power again over the next couple weeks as more trees weighed down by the heavy snow bend or break over power lines.
On Sunday afternoon, Minnesota utilities reported fewer than 2,000 homes and businesses were without power.
Most of the weekend’s remaining outages were in the Lake Country Power service area, with the biggest number in Carlton and St. Louis counties. Earlier, the outages ranged from the Brainerd, Mora and Hinckley areas northeast toward Grand Rapids, Duluth and the Arrowhead.
“This is the worst winter storm we have faced in terms of the number of outages and trouble reports, and we appreciate our customers’ patience as we deal with the difficult conditions in the field,” Dan Gunderson, Minnesota Power's vice president of transmission and distribution, said in a news release Friday.
Lake Country Power said the deep snow made it difficult for crews to get close to the poles that support the lines.
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