Southern Minnesotans Digging Out From March Snowstorm
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Over the weekend, there was no snow in southern Minnesota. The roads were clear, and so were the lawns.
But by Monday afternoon, winter had returned, if only for a little while -- bringing close to a foot of snow to Mankato.
When Old Man Winter returns, just before spring arrives, you build a mini ski slope in an alleyway. At least that's what Collin Johnston and his friends did.
"Loving it. Loving it, loving it, loving it," Johnston said. "We've got a classic March snowstorm. We just want to ski, man."
On the other side of town, Rebecca Fox just wants a snow blower that can handle this heavy, wet snow.
"I would guess a good 10 to 12 inches," Fox said. "It's beautiful, but it's a lot of work."
The snow that stuck to the trees made for a scenic-but-slippery drive along the Minnesota River Valley. Up the road in St. Peter, snow blowers and shovels were getting a workout. Aaron Peterson was using the latter.
"I'm less than thrilled, but I might get to skip my workout today, so [laughs]! Got pretty much all of it all done here," Peterson said. "Two days ago we had 60-degree weather, so to wake up to this this morning was less than pleasant, but hopefully it's the last one."
LeRoy Padgett's plans to take out his motorcycle are on hold, as he wrestles with this inconvenience.
"I think it's pretty, but it's a pain in the butt," Padgett said.
A pain that promises to be temporary. The snow will begin melting on Tuesday, and it's expected to be gone in just a few days.
The Minnesota State Patrol says there were 113 crashes on state roads Monday between 4 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., with 12 involving injuries. There were also 117 spinouts, and two semis jackknifed.
