NEXT Drive Alert: Ongoing winter storm causes challenging morning commute
MINNEAPOLIS -- A NEXT Drive Alert was issued Wednesday morning as a multi-day storm continues to coat Minnesota's roads.
The morning commute was messy, though perhaps not as clotted as expected.
Per the Minnesota State Patrol, there were 83 crashes statewide between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Four of those resulted in injury, though none were fatal. Additionally, 119 vehicles spun out and one semi jackknifed.
Southern Minnesota aside, nearly all of the state's major highways were partially or completely covered in the morning hours, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Oh, this is good.
— A.J. Hilton (@AJHilton_News) December 14, 2022
Be safe on the roads, y’all.@WCCO pic.twitter.com/IjZptOCeWm
WCCO's Beret Leone spent Wednesday morning in the NEXT Weather Tracker checking out the roads. She reported plenty of slick spots, particularly on highway on and off ramps.
MORE: School closings and delays
Overnight, rain in the Twin Cities transitioned into snow, drowning the roadways in a slushy mix. The snow tapered off in the morning hours before the beginning of a dry period. The metro will see some melting during that timeframe, which could make for a challenging evening commute, too.