In addition to the hundreds of crashes on the roads thanks to some significant winter weather, six Minnesota State Patrol squad cars were hit during the height of the storm.
State Patrol Lieutenant Mike Lee says luckily there were no serious injuries, but these instances serve as a stark reminder to slow down, especially when roads are dicey.
"Speed is a major factor," says Lee. "People are just driving too fast for conditions and it really isn't a number, it's not a speed that you're going. It's just that you're driving too fast and you can't react properly."
Lee says drivers also need to remember to move over a lane when they see a trooper helping a motorist on the side of the road.
"We had six squad cars that were hit during the course of their shift," Lee explained. "If you're out there driving, especially in inclement weather, please slow down."
The State Patrol reports that between midnight and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, there were 203 property damage crashes, 15 injury crashes, 303 vehicles off the road, 46 spin outs, and 27 jackknifed semis.
The storm also did a number at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. There were a few hundred delays and at least 40 cancellations at the height of the storm which is slowing them down still Wednesday afternoon as they try to get things back on schedule.
"Our world-class snow removal team has been working overnight to clear runways for airline operations, but flights still may be impacted by the weather," MSP Airport said in a social media post. "Please contact your airline to verify your flight's status before heading to the airport."
The storm dumped several inches across the Twin Cities metro area and even more to the south and east. That coupled with some high winds led to a Winter Storm Warning, a Blizzard Warning to the south, and major issues and slowdowns across roads.
WCCO Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer notes that the sun is likely to peek out later in the day and sun with temps in the 30s and even 40s the next couple of days will melt things quickly.