Between the snow and wind, roads are going to be pretty nasty for a while
Minnesota roads have been pretty nasty all day, and it really doesn't look like the sloppy conditions will ease for a while.
The forecast shows 1-3 inches of snow will fall in the southern half of the state, mainly before 1 p.m. A winter weather advisory remains in effect for the area until 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the weather service warning that winds will pick up in the afternoon, blowing all that fresh snow around and making it hard to see – especially between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Temperatures will also drop today. It was in the high 20s in the Twin Cities early Tuesday morning, but by 5 p.m. it'll drop to around 15 degrees, the forecast says.
12:30 p.m. – Lots of crashes
There have been a lot of crashes on Minnesota roads.
According to the State Patrol there were 172 vehicle spinouts, and 145 crashes between 5 a.m. and 11 a.m. One of those was fatal.
In just the Twin Cities metro, there were 93 crashes.
The State Patrol even shut down part of an interstate in eastern Minnesota for a while. Around noon, officials tweeted out they were shutting I-35E down at Sturgeon Lake in Pine County because there are multiple vehicles in the ditch on both sides of the road. It reopened about 45 minutes later.
There are no travel advisories in effect for some counties, including Stearns, Benton, Sherborne, Mille Lacs, and Morrison.
The Department of Transportation has an updated road conditions map here. As of noon, most roads are completely covered in snow.
Wind is also starting to pick up. The National Weather Service says winds could reach 30-40 mph, blowing snow and making it difficult to see.
Teen killed in crash
A 16-year-old girl died in a head-on collision with an Itasca County sheriff's deputy Tuesday morning.
The State Patrol says Sierra Matthews of Pengilly – which is northeast of Grand Rapids – had been traveling westbound on Highway 169, lost control of her car, and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic.
At the time, the deputy was responding to a medical call and had his emergency lights on. He was not injured.
6:30 a.m. – Messy morning commute
Sleet and freezing rain moved north through western and southern Minnesota Tuesday morning, causing ice to build up on car windows and making roads slick. That wet mess transitioned to all snow, with the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities saying another inch of snow is possible before 10:30 a.m.
Fresh snow on already slick roads has really slowed down the morning commute for motorists and those taking public transportation. As of 8 a.m., nearly every road in the state was either partially or completely covered by snow, ice or a combination of the two. For the latest road conditions, check out MnDOT's website.
Several crashes and vehicles sliding off the road have been reported in the Twin Cities and northwestern Minnesota.
More snow Wednesday, then cold
As weather patterns go in Minnesota, it'll snow – and then get cold.
Some light snow is possible after midnight tonight, but not more than an inch. Then another 1-2 inches if snow is in the forecast for during the day Wednesday, the National Weather Service says.
After that, it'll get cold, with lows in the teens and 20s below zero by Thursday.
There's good news though. The National Weather Service says "one thing for sure though, is the warning trend into next week" – above-normal temperatures are expected for most or all of next week. AccuWeather's website shows temperatures in the mid-30s for the Twin Cities next week (the average temp this time of year is in the low 20s).
