Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

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Schools were closed and driving was difficult across much of south-central and southeast Minnesota on Wednesday, as a spring storm brought heavy snow and whiteout conditions to the region.

As of midday Wednesday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation was reporting snow-covered highways — and numerous crashes, spinouts and jackknifed semis — from Fairmont east to Albert Lea, Owatonna, Preston, Rochester and Wabasha. That included stretches of Interstates 35 and 90.

Rochester, Fairmont and Winona were among the school districts that canceled classes on Wednesday, March 19. Austin, Owatonna, Pine Island and Waseca were among the districts that moved to online learning. Mankato and St. Peter started classes two hours late. Find a complete list below.

Snow developed Wednesday morning along the Interstate 90 corridor and became heavy at times through the morning hours. Blizzard warnings run through Wednesday night for much of south-central and southeast Minnesota. 

The National Weather Service says those areas may see 4 to 8 inches of snow, along with northwest winds gusting to more than 50 miles per hour. That combination could lead to whiteout conditions at times.

Winter storm warnings extend from Winona into western Wisconsin, where snowfall may also exceed a half-foot — but winds may not be as strong.

To the north and south of the blizzard and winter storm warnings, winter weather advisories were in place for Wednesday. That includes Jackson, Mankato, Red Wing and Houston, where several inches of snow are possible.

There will be a sharp cut-off in snow amounts on the northern side of the storm; the Twin Cities may see little if any snow accumulation. Find forecast updates on 

While large parts of Minnesota saw few storms and well-below-normal snowfall for much of the winter, March has been a lot more active. Wednesday’s storm will hit exactly two weeks after 

 brought more than a foot of snow to parts of southern Minnesota.

School delays, closings for Wednesday, March 19

This list will be updated as additional closings and delays are reported.

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 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:

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A spring storm is forecast to bring blizzard conditions to a swath of southern Minnesota on Wednesday — and ahead of that, some school districts are canceling classes or moving to online learning.

Difficult driving, schools closed as heavy snow falls in parts of southern Minnesota

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