Minnesota Weather: Saturday Expected To Remain Chancy On Roads
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The state has lifted a no travel advisory that was in place for highways around the Moorhead area, after whiteout conditions there Friday morning, and neither Minneapolis nor St. Paul have declared snow emergencies as of yet.
However, this could just be the quiet before the rest of a winter wallop makes things difficult Saturday.
Friday was already a busy day for the Minnesota State Patrol's troopers, with 171 crashes reported statewide, 20 of them involving injury, though none were fatal.
Suffice it to say it was a tough ride home for a lot of people dealing with the heavy snow and ferocious wind, but experts (including WCCO's meteorologist Chris Shaffer) say we're by no means out of the woods just yet.
"It's really bad, it's probably the worst snow I've seen this year," one commuter told WCCO.
Snow plows lined up in a row on Highway 212, doing their best to fight the flakes, but they were falling too fast.
Stacey Gables had to deal with the snow both on the sidewalk and in the streets while delivering pizzas in Eden Prairie.
"We just shoveled two hours ago, and we are shoveling again," she said.
The snow is not only going to cause a problem now, but throughout the weekend. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says high winds will create blowing snow for drivers to deal with for days to come.
MnDOT forwarded the following tips for winter driving:
- Call 511 or visit 511mn.org before leaving on your trip to get current road conditions.
- Turn on your headlights and wear your seat belt.
- Turn off your cruise control.
- Slow down; allow at least 10 car lengths between your vehicle and a plow.
- Stay behind the snowplow. The road behind a snowplow is safer to drive on.
- Watch for snowplows that turn or exit frequently, and often with little warning.
- Never drive into a snow cloud.