Sunday’s big snow: More than 200 crashes, MSP reporting canceled flights
Updated: 9:40 p.m.
A major snowstorm hit Minnesota Sunday.
Up to a foot of snow is expected in some places and prompting a blizzard warning on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
The Minnesota State Patrol said between midnight and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, there were more than 217 crashes, and 13 involved injuries. A 51-year-old Lakeville woman died in a single vehicle crash on a snowy and icy stretch of Interstate 35E at just after noon when a northbound SUV slid off the road and struck a tree.
More than 100 vehicles spun out or slid off roads. Five semis jackknifed.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
By Sunday evening, of the 452 total arriving flights, 144 were delayed or canceled, or a just under a third. Of the 443 total departing flights, 169 were canceled or delayed, or just over a quarter.
Michael Schommer is a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Airports Commission. He said the airport is adding staff in an attempt to keep runways open.
“We have nearly 320 people to support snow removal and response efforts,” Schommer said. “In the case of this weekend’s storm, our full resources are being activated, and they’ll be on site until well after the storm has passed.”
The winter storm is hitting during one of the airport’s busiest weeks, as students and families take off for spring break.
Schommer said Thursday and Friday were some of the busiest days, and the airport expects this week and next to bring peak numbers of spring break travelers. He advised travelers to keep up to date on cancelations and delays with their airlines and the airport’s website before coming to the airport.
In St. Paul, Kaitlin Seagraves was visiting from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She and several friends were in town to watch PWHL Minnesota face off against Montreal in a professional women’s hockey league game. She was impressed by how ready Minnesota is for snow.
“I got on the 511 on saw that you guys have cameras all over the roads and snowplow routes and stuff,” Seagraves said. “We don’t have any infrastructure like this.”
In Southwest Minnesota, many residents in Marshall are begrudgingly breaking out their usual winter habits again.
Dariel Rugama, a parts specialist at O’Reilly Auto Parts, said there has been a recent spike in people buying wiper blades and batteries to gear up for winter driving again. Rugama arrived in Marshall from Nicaragua five years ago.
“It’s kind of weird having a snowstorm, but I’m used to it already,” he said. “Now it’s just like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It is what it is.”
At local grocery stores, aisles were busy, but not necessarily in preparation for stockpiling ahead of dangerous roads.
Spencer Gravley, who works at Hy-Vee, said he’s noticed double the usual amount of customers the past couple days. Yet Sunday morning shoppers said their full carts were nothing out of the ordinary.
Erin Jensen was buying ingredients for her winter chili recipe. She’s been making it for over 30 years, she said, and the conditions are finally just right for its warmth.
“Well, it’s the perfect time of year to make some chili, especially when the snow is falling,” Jensen said. “And so my plan today is just bake, make some soup and snuggle in and watch a good movie.”
The storm comes in the wake of a winter weather system that dropped several inches of snow Thursday night into Friday morning across much of the state — causing hundreds of crashes and spinouts.
Because of the length of the snowstorm and its intensity, Josh Sandstrom, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, recommends people adjust driving habits.
“Take it slow out there,” he said. “If you don’t need to travel, I would not recommend it.” Sandstrom added the Monday morning commute “is looking pretty treacherous.”
The National Weather Service said the worst conditions in the Twin Cities are expected from Sunday afternoon through early Monday.
MPR News will have updates on the forecast on-air and online through the weekend.
Share your snow photos with us! Send them to tell@mpr.org and let us know where you took the photo.
Forecast updates
MPR News: Live weather blog and real-time radar
National Weather Service: Snowfall reports
Travel conditions
These state transportation departments offer live updates on road conditions and crashes:
For bus and light rail riders in the Twin Cities, Metro Transit offers weather-related updates on its Metro Transit and Metro Transit Alerts Twitter pages and on its website.
Flight updates
If you’re planning to fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport or another airport around the region — or if you are expecting visitors to arrive by plane — airports offer flight status updates online: