ST PAUL, Minn. — Anyone who has put a shovel to the heavy, wet snow distributed by our extended winter storm event can tell you it's like moving wet cement.
Now imagine having to get it off thousands of miles of roads.
MnDOT plow drivers have been out since before the storm rolled into Minnesota Thursday morning, first pre-treating, and now clearing the soggy snow off driving lanes. A look at the department's 5-1-1 map Friday evening shows that the task continues across parts of the state, and that roads remain sloppy.
The Minnesota State Patrol says between 9:45 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. Friday, troopers responded to 116 crashes statewide (11 with non serious injuries) - and another 197 vehicles spun out or went off the road due to dicey driving conditions.
Earlier Friday, KARE 11's Boyd Huppert was in southwestern Minnesota, and posted a video on Twitter from near Marshall reflecting blowing snow, poor visibility and wind gusts reaching 45 miles-per-hour. The area's blizzard warning has since expired, but road conditions remain poor, and a winter weather advisory is still in effect until midnight.
State Patrol Sergeant Jesse Grabow posted a picture on his Twitter account of a semi that had jackknifed and rolled Friday morning on I-94 not far from Moorhead in the northwestern part of the state. "Slow down & move over while we assist," he reminded.
Crews have been plowing around the clock, trying to get the heavy, slushy stuff off interstates, highways and local roads. MnDOT reminds motorists that those drivers do a better job, in a safer manner, if given room to work.
"They're also driving slower to do their jobs, so they're not going to be keeping up with traffic as some folks may want," MnDOT spokesperson Anne Meyer told KARE 11 Sunrise. "Again... its safer behind the plow because that area has already been plowed. Anything ahead you don't know what you're getting into."
Meyer says the optimum amount of room to give plow drivers is about 10 car lengths, if possible.
On the plus side, Meyer says, temperatures above freezing mean the snow is heavy and not blowing as much, improving visibility. She does warn that raised road surfaces like bridge decks and ramps can still be slick.
It's a good idea to keep an eye on the thermometer in your car, because an anticipated drop in temps could make roads icy this weekend.