MINNEAPOLIS — People hoping to travel back to Minnesota from the northwest after the holidays might actually want to take their shoes off and stay awhile.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), most of northern Minnesota remained under a winter weather advisory from Monday until noon Tuesday, as temperatures hover around freezing and rain-covered roads turn to ice.
NWS said it expects total ice accumulation to reach up to .20 inches and some wind gusts as fast as 35 mph.
The city of East Grand Forks, located on the border with North Dakota in Cook County, is also under an ice storm warning until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Highway Patrol officials in neighboring South Dakota announced Interstate 90 would close from Mitchell to Wall beginning at 9 p.m. over forecasted blizzard conditions.
But it wasn't only motorists to the north and west who woke up with a proverbial piece of coal in their stockings. Steady rain also soaked roads around the Twin Cities, which NWS said is expected to continue until Tuesday morning. KARE 11 Meteorologist Jamie Kagol said there could also be some passing light snow Wednesday, bringing little, if any, accumulation as the storm system exits the region.
The rain came amid a new record-high temperature of 54 degrees on Christmas day, beating a century-old record of 51, set back in 1922. Kagol said the average high temperature is typically around 26 degrees this time of year.
Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Transportation showed several highways were partially or completely covered in ice from west of Bemidji into North Dakota, but luckily, the Minnesota State Patrol had not reported any weather-related accidents as of 10 p.m.
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