MINNEAPOLIS -- A winter storm that blew through the upper Midwest over the long Presidents Day weekend coated roads with ice and mountains of snow, and led airlines to cancel hundreds of flights.
Residents of Minnesota who didn't get the Monday holiday off faced what is expected to be a dismal commute. Officials are urging people to stay off the roads if possible, rather than risk driving on icy roads or through wind-driven snow.
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY is in effect for much of Minnesota including the Twin Cities metro Monday for additional snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches and even some higher amounts to the north of the metro. The snow may be mixed with light freezing drizzle at times especially in the morning across southern Minnesota.
The National Weather Service said up to 13 inches had fallen in the Twin Cities by Sunday night, and light snow and freezing drizzle was expected to continue into Monday morning. The storm brought with it winds of 15 to 30 mph.
Hundreds of flights were canceled at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as the storm started moving through Sunday.
Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesman Kevin Gutknect noted that Monday's expected light holiday traffic would make more room for snow plows, but for those who are on the road blowing snow will make clearing the roads difficult.
"If people don't need to travel, they shouldn't," Gutknect said. "It's really hard for people to see."
The University of Minnesota closed its Twin Cities campus until noon Monday, and the Minnesota Historical Society postponed its History Matters Day at the state Capitol in St. Paul.
Hennepin County libraries are opening two hours late Monday and will open at noon.
Several cities in the southern half of the state, including St. Paul, declared snow emergencies, which typically trigger parking restrictions that make it easier to clear the streets. Minneapolis public works officials said they would wait until the snowfall ended before decided whether to declare a snow emergency.
The Minnesota State Patrol reports that from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday, there were 122 crashes state wide, with 19 reporting injuries and three squad cars being hit. There were also 157 vehicles that went off the road and one jack-knifed semi.
Of those numbers, 73 crashes happened in the metro with 13 injuries and two squad cars hit. There were also 83 vehicles that went off the road.
Twin Cities metro area forecast for Monday, February 21, 2011: Cloudy with light freezing drizzle and light snow - additional accumulations of 1 to 3 inches by sunset (5:49 p.m.) most areas will likely see about 1 inch of snow Monday. Highs will be in the mid 20s with gusty northeast winds at 10 to 20 mph during the day decreasing to less than 10 mph from the northeast this evening. Partly cloudy Monday night with lows near 10 degrees by sunrise (7:03 a.m.) Tuesday.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said driving conditions were hazardous as the storm brought a mix of ice, snow and high winds to the southern part of the state and heavier snow further north. The agency said numerous slide-offs and crashes had been reported on interstates by Sunday night. The National Weather Service said snow accumulations could reach more than a foot in central Wisconsin.
In Michigan, state police cautioned that mix of snow and freezing rain was expected through midday Monday in the southwestern part of the state. Up to a foot of snow was forecast in some areas. Mecosta County Sheriff's Sgt. J. Koepke said southbound U.S. 131 was closed for several hours Sunday after 50 to 60 vehicles crashed near Big Rapids.
(Copyright 2011 by KARE and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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