ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – MnDOT officials say they are ready for the freezing rain and two to four inches of snow expected to fall between Friday night and late Saturday in the metro area. They want drivers to be prepared for the conditions by practicing safe winter driving habits.

MnDOT asks drivers to give plows plenty of room, as well as to drive according to road conditions.

Ten to 16 inches of snow fell last weekend throughout the metro area within a 24-hour period. MnDOT sent out approximately 200 plows in the metro and approximately 700 statewide.

According to MnDOT Acting Commissioner Bernie Arseneau, several factors contributed to the compromised effectiveness of road salt during the storm.

“The warm ground temperature when snow began falling, combined with the rapid accumulation of snow, the high volume of traffic on the road and the sharp drop in temperatures Sunday night, created a perfect storm for snow to adhere to the roadways and make salt solutions marginally effective,” Arseneau said. “We are proud of our crews who have worked around the clock to get roads back to good winter driving conditions.”

For up-to-the-minute road conditions statewide, call 5-1-1 or visit www.511mn.org.