Minnesota Sees Nearly 300 Crashes, Spinouts After Winter Storms
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – After winter storms dumped snow on northern Minnesota and freezing rain on the south, the state's roads saw nearly 300 crashes and spinouts.
The Minnesota State Patrol tweeted Tuesday morning that since Monday night Minnesota roads saw 289 crashes and 277 vehicles go off-road. In those crashes, 43 people suffered injuries, but none were serious or fatal.
The recent winter weather brought around 8 inches of snow to areas of northern Minnesota, and made travel particularly hazardous in the northwestern corner of the state.
Further south, where freezing rain and sleet fell Monday, roads and sidewalks were slick. The National Weather Service said travel was not advised on Interstate 94 north of the Twin Cities due to black ice. Drivers were also cautioned to take it easy on icy metro side streets.
The metro area specifically saw 197 crashes and 66 cars go off-road since Monday night, the state patrol said. In those crashes, 26 people were injured.
The icy roads may continue to be a problem in some areas as an arctic cold front moving into the state Tuesday will keep temperatures confined to the single digits or even below zero.
The next time temperatures are expected to be around average is over the weekend, when highs will rise into the low 20s.
