Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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Falling snow, tumbling temperatures and gusty winds caused difficult driving conditions across much of Minnesota on Wednesday.

The State Patrol said its troopers were busy responding to crashes and spinouts during the morning hours, especially in western Minnesota where the snow was heaviest.

“We had a significant amount of rain, which then froze, and now (is) getting covered with the snow, and the winds — making travel a little difficult for folks out here, especially for the semis,” State Patrol Sgt. Jesse Grabow said.

Grabow said troopers responded to six jackknifed semis along Interstate 94 between Moorhead and Alexandria as of mid-morning. 

In southern Minnesota, at least one person died in a single-vehicle rollover crash Wednesday morning along Interstate 35 north of Owatonna. The Patrol said road conditions were icy at the time.

Grabow urged drivers to use extra caution as snow continued to fall Wednesday.

“The most important thing is take your time, make sure you’re increasing your following distances. You yourself might be a very safe driver, but we do share the roadways with a number of people who maybe don’t have that experience yet,” Grabow said. “With everybody trying to do their part, to take their time, keep their windshields free and clear of snow and ice — can hopefully help make a difference in preventing some of these other crashes.”

The National Weather Service received reports of 2 to 4 inches of snow as of Wednesday morning in northwest Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, with snow still falling. Winter weather advisories remain in effect for those areas through 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Snow showers are forecast to continue moving across the rest of Minnesota, too — but with lighter accumulations expected.

Farther west, blizzard warnings are in effect until 6 p.m. Wednesday in parts of central North Dakota, including Devils Lake and Minot. As of midday Wednesday, North Dakota transportation officials were 

Here’s how to keep tabs on forecasts, travel conditions and flight updates.

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 

If you’re planning to fly out of 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:

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Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Author

MPR News Staff

The State Patrol said its troopers were busy responding to crashes and spinouts Wednesday morning, especially in western Minnesota where the snow was heaviest.

Snow showers, gusty winds create difficult driving conditions across Minnesota

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