Classes Canceled, Snow Emergencies Declared In Twin Cities
MINNEAPOLIS (AP/WCCO) — Some students had the day off in Minnesota Tuesday as a powerful snowstorm swept over the state.
The storm brought blizzard-like conditions to far southern Minnesota, and they are expected to last through Tuesday night.
Already in the afternoon, highways in the south closed due to hazardous conditions, and the State Patrol reported 175 crashes across Minnesota.
WCCO-TV meteorologist Matt Brickman says the Twin Cities metro will see the heaviest snow falling through the evening. Some communities could see one to two inches of accumulation an hour.
"Even as snow tapers off later this evening, strong winds will cause reduced visibility and blowing snow in the metro until late tonight," Brickman said.
The National Weather Service is predicting 4 to 8 inches of snow in the Twin Cities and its suburbs. Accumulations of 6 to 11 inches of snow are expected south of a line from Redwood Falls to Minneapolis.
Among the school districts that canceled classes Tuesday were Blue Earth Area Public Schools, Faribault, Lakeview, Blooming Prairie, Mankato, Marshall, Rochester and Winona.
Minnesota State University Mankato also canceled classes after 2 p.m. This includes classes at the Edina and Normandale campuses.
The Minneapolis and St. Paul school districts, along with several others, have canceled after school activities.
To see a list of all delays and closings, visit the WCCO school closings page.
A number of cities are also taking precautions by canceling activities or declaring snow emergencies.
So far, both Minneapolis and St. Paul have declared snow emergencies.
Other cities in the metro that have declared snow emergencies include Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Crystal, Mendota Heights, St. Louis Park, and West St. Paul.
To see a full list of snow emergency declarations, click here.
The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported that more than 100 flights were canceled Tuesday and more than 80 flights were delayed.
The FAA says some arriving flights are delayed 5 hours and 51 minutes on average.
St. Paul Winter Carnival
Not even the St. Paul Winter Carnival is safe from the storm.
The city announced that the Winter Carnival Snow Slide will be closed on Tuesday. Organizers decided not to open it considering the hazardous conditions. The Frozen Family Fun Night was also rescheduled for Thursday.
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