The snow is pretty much over. The Winter Storm Warning ends at 9:00 a.m. But the roads could stay slick despite MnDOT's best efforts because that wind is howling and that is one of the challenges facing crews Wednesday morning.
"Ramps, bridges, overpasses, we've got a lot of those in the Twin Cities metro area," MnDOTspokesperson Anne Meyer says. "So even though the main line might get better faster, keep in mind you want to slow down well in advance of getting off the highway because that ramp's gonna be slicker if you're going over an elevated area of highway that's gonna have a colder road temp. So you might just catch a little bit of that slick spot."
She says spots like bridges and overpasses could remain especially tricky throughout the day due to slick spots that are more difficult to get rid of.
It'll also depend on which part of the metro area you're in.
"North and East Metro got more snow than the South Metro, so it's going to take longer in those areas, certainly north of that," says Meyer. "We saw some issues, you know, going up I-94 to the Fargo area. We know more snow is happening up towards Duluth. So if you've got some longer travel to do today, it'd be better to wait it out. Give us a few hours now that the snow is gone to try and get roads a little bit in better shape."
The Minnesota State Patrol says they've responded to hundreds of crashes and at least 18 jackknifed semis since the storm began. That total is rising as we go through the morning rush hour.
The State Patrol's updated statewide crash stats for Wednesday 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. includes 80 property damage crashes, 1 injury crash, 7 vehicle spin outs, 89 vehicles off the road and 11 jackknifed semis.
Also, it is a busy day on the roads in any event with the Thanksgiving holiday. Many heading to the airport are finding some delays as this massive storm system churns in the Upper Midwest.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Tyler Hasenstein says reduced visibility is expected to continue through Wednesday morning due to those high wind gusts.
"There will be kind of some lingering spots of snow on the roads, and we kind of had some rain before we fell below freezing, so there might be some sneaky spots of ice out there as well," he says. "So it'll be an important morning just to take things a little bit slower."
Hasenstein says areas of western Minnesota have received around 6 inches of snow so far.