Almost 400 crashes, spinouts as snow hits Minnesota
Nearly 400 crashes have been reported in Minnesota during a five-hour timespan as morning commuters were faced with fresh snow.
The Minnesota State Patrol said a total of 322 crashes happened between 6-11 a.m. with 25 injuries being reported. Fortunately, none of them involved serious or fatal injuries.
An additional 67 vehicles have spun out or driven off the road, with three semis jackknifing.
Minnesota Safety posted a couple of crash videos Monday, with one showing a car narrowly missing a semi as it spins out on a state highway.
Another video shows an SUV slipping on ice, entering a ditch in a wooded area.
Earlier Monday morning, the Minnesota 511 traffic report showed a growing number of crashes around the Twin Cities area. As of Monday afternoon, all Twin Cities roads are considered partially or completely covered in snow or ice.
Here's the situation as of 12:20 p.m.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation reports that all roads are either partially or completely covered with snow in the southeastern part of the state. MnDOT also said over 120 plow drivers have been addressing the snow and ice since 3:30 a.m.
According to the National Weather Service, snow is expected to continue falling Monday with up to 4 inches expected in the Twin Cities by the end of Monday.
The NWS said light snow is likely to keep falling Tuesday through Thursday, with single-digit wind chill temperatures coming "mid to late week."
The state patrol is reminding drivers to do the following while driving in winter conditions:
- Slow down
- Increase following distance
- Put away distractions
- Headlights on, cruise control off
- Buckle up
- Give plows room
To keep track of Minnesota road conditions, track Minnesota 511's map here.
