Snow emergencies declared; dangerous cold coming

Updated: 1:46 p.m. | Posted: 6:07 a.m.

Oh yeah — this is what Minnesota winters are supposed to be like.

A winter storm blanketed the state in deep snow Sunday night, following an icy blast late last week that led to the cancellation of several events.

And it's not over yet. This is only part two. Part three — another burst of dangerous cold — is yet to come.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is urging all drivers to take it easy on the roads, especially because blowing and drifting snow are making for some tough conditions. Between midnight and 10 a.m., the State Patrol responded to 134 crashes — 10 with injuries — and 137 spinouts.

Several cities have declared snow emergencies, including Minneapolis and St. Paul. You'll want to be careful where you park.

Several schools are closed or delayed Monday, including three of the largest districts in Minnesota: Minneapolis, St. Paul and Anoka-Hennepin.

Some Twin Cities area schools have also announced closures on Tuesday and Wednesday when the deep freeze returns. Gov. Tim Walz announced Monday he would not be ordering a statewide closure and would instead defer to local school districts on decisions to open or close. State law gives the governor power through the education commissioner to "alter school schedules, curtail school activities or order schools closed." Former Govs. Arne Carlson and Mark Dayton both ordered schools closed due to cold weather during their tenures.

Dangerous wind chills of below 35 are expected Tuesday through Thursday morning. Low temperatures late Tuesday night and early Wednesday are expected to be in the 20s below zero in southern Minnesota, with 30s below zero and possibly some 40s below zero in the north.

In the Twin Cities, the "highs" on Wednesday and Thursday are supposed to hit minus 12 and minus 4, respectively.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.