Winter Storm Batters Minnesota, Bringing ‘Potentially Life-Threatening Travel Conditions’

In Minnesota, forecasters warned of “potentially life-threatening travel conditions” as whiteout conditions reduced visibility. Heavy snow was expected over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes.

Crashes and flight delays were accumulating on Sunday as a major winter storm swept through Minnesota and Wisconsin, bringing “dangerous, potentially life-threatening travel conditions” at the end of the holiday weekend, weather forecasters said.

The National Weather Service warned travelers about arctic air moving into the Plains on Sunday that would be followed by “a potent winter storm from the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes.”

The Weather Service in Minnesota said that a band of at least 10 inches of snow was expected to develop across eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Blizzard warnings were posted in southern and western parts of the state.

By 8:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, roads across western Minnesota were blanketed with snow and visibility was reduced to a half-mile or less, said the Weather Service, which shared images of nearly whiteout conditions on roads.

The dangerous conditions were expected Sunday through early Monday morning, the Weather Service said on social media, advising that residents not travel across the south central and southwest portions of Minnesota.

Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota said he had authorized the National Guard to support emergency winter storm operations. “Grateful to those who are answering the call to help our neighbors and get drivers home safely,” he said on social media.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced a ground delay at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport because of the weather. Two inches of snow had fallen at the airport by noon local time on Sunday. The airport had at least 200 delayed and more than 80 canceled flights as of Sunday evening.

Reports of crashes and spinouts in the state began piling up starting early on Sunday. The Minnesota State Patrol reported at least 14 crashes resulting in injuries and nearly 102 vehicles off the road through Sunday afternoon.

Portions of Interstate 35, which runs north-south in the state, were closed in the afternoon because of the numerous crashes, the Weather Service said.

“Please delay or cancel travel plans until the storm has passed,” the State Patrol said.

The poor weather settled in as travelers were beginning to return home after the long holiday weekend.

As of Sunday evening, there were more than 27,000 delayed flights and more than 1,300 canceled flights across the country, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.

About 2.9 million people were expected to travel on Sunday, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions with “treacherous travel conditions” are expected to continue over the Upper Midwest and Great Lake through Monday, the Weather Service said.

Forecasts called for heavy lake-effect snow from Lakes Erie and Ontario to last Monday afternoon into Tuesday, the service said. More than a foot of lake-enhanced snow along Michigan’s Upper Peninsula was expected on Sunday night.

Wind gusts greater than 40 miles an hour will create blowing and drifting snow. Subzero wind chill temperatures are expected into Tuesday, with wind chills as low as 30 degrees below zero in North Dakota and Minnesota into Monday.

Freezing rain ahead of a warm front was forecast for the Northeast on Sunday and then expected to move east through New England on Sunday evening.

A mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain will most likely affect northern New England before warmer air changes the wintry mix to all rain later on Monday, the Weather Service said.

Portions of Rhode Island and Massachusetts could get 0.1 to 0.2 inches of ice while parts of southern New Hampshire may get as much as a half-inch through Monday morning, forecasters said.

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