Snow Emergencies Abound, But MnDOT Pleased With Quick Clean Up
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- Thousands of Minnesota students had the day off, dozens of flights were canceled and the cleanup is far from over after the Twin Cities got hit with about a foot of snow over the past two days, culminating with Tuesday's heavy downfall.
Among the scores of districts that called off classes Tuesday were a number of Twin Cities area districts. They include the northern suburban Anoka-Hennepin district, the largest in Minnesota with 39,000 students. Snowfall Tuesday also canceled classes for dozens of schools including Rochester, Winona, Stillwater and Shakopee.
Both St. Paul and Minneapolis declared snow emergencies to go into effect on Tuesday. There were also snow emergencies declared in other cities, such as Bloomington, St. Louis Park, Plymouth and Mankato.
The Minnesota State Patrol said that from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, troopers handled 215 crashes statewide. Of those crashes, 34 involved injuries and none were deemed serious. There were 316 vehicles that went off the road.
The National Weather Service predicts a two-day snow total of 8 to 12 inches for much of southeastern and east-central Minnesota including the Twin Cities. Forecasters expect the snow to taper off, but winds to pick up by Tuesday afternoon.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation said the temperature of the asphalt and the air, and the consistency of the snow meant using minimal salt, and could make for a quick clean up.
The snowfall caused more than two dozen flights to be canceled Tuesday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Delta Air Lines waived fees for one-time changes in travel plans for passengers using the airport and others in the Upper Midwest Monday and Tuesday.
Those wondering about boys sectional basketball playoff games should contact their school's athletic office for updates.
For information about parking restrictions in Minneapolis call 348-SNOW and in St. Paul call 266-PLOW.
Cities across the metro are reminding homeowners to shovel a path for mail carriers, and make sure that fire hydrants are accessible.
Weather Report
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