Minnesota Weather: MnDOT Making Preparations With Another Round Of Snow Set To Arrive Tuesday
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Last Wednesday's winter storm resulted in hundreds of crashes across Minnesota roadways. With another round of snow on the way Tuesday, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) crews are making preparations.
"We will pretreat certain areas. Our best places for pretreating are ramps, bridges intersections, any place that has a lower road temperature and tends to freeze up quicker than other areas," Anne Meyer of MnDOT said.
MORE: MnDOT's 511 Map
The pre-Christmas blizzard led to the activation of the National Guard to help stranded drivers in southern Minnesota. Thankfully, this storm won't pack as much of a punch in the wind department, and the lack of ice formation before snowfall may also work in our favor.
"Our biggest challenge with that last storm was our rain base and how quickly that turned over to ice and that was a layer that was challenging to deal with and stuck around for several days after the storm," Meyer said.
Tuesday's storm system looks to come in with all snowfall, but it looks like southern Minnesota will be hardest hit with this one.
"We know that this storm will really impact the state of Minnesota from the middle down so those MnDOT crews will be at the ready so those crews are ready to hit the roads and they will be working 12 hour shifts 24 hours a day until roads are back in the clear," Meyer said.
The further southwest you live, the earlier you will need to get off the roads.
"Storms can impact different areas and not so much others so maybe there is some things you can do before the storm hits to get you to where you need to be or run those errands early," Meyer said.
And, of course, with any snowstorm be sure to check the latest road conditions before you head out.
"We always encourage drivers to know before you go. They can use tools like 511, mndot.org if you look at your route before you get behind the wheel you can see what road conditions are like. Maybe there are some traffic impacts that may make you go a different direction or leave at a different time," Meyer said.
While it may be the last winter storm of 2020, but surely won't be the last one of this winter season.
"It is a great time for motorists to always be weather aware to know when weather is coming in or leaving and to pay attention to the road conditions before they get behind the wheel. Just knowing before you go can make a difference and get you to where you want to go safely," Meyer said.
MORE ON THE FORECAST
The metro area could start to see snow in the late morning, but it won't ramp up until about 3 p.m. It's expected to clear out overnight into Wednesday morning. Two to 4 inches of snowfall totals across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Click here to read more.
