Overnight coating of snow makes for difficult driving across much of Minnesota
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Updated: 9 a.m.
It was a frightful Halloween morning commute across much of Minnesota in the wake of overnight snow.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported a flurry of crashes on icy Twin Cities freeways through the morning hours.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported 181 crashes on state highways across Minnesota from midnight through 9 a.m. Tuesday, along with 13 jackknifed semis and 121 spinouts or vehicles in the ditch.
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, Metro Transit reported that more than half of its bus routes were delayed, with an average delay of 11 minutes.
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The metro area saw 1 to 3 inches of snow from late Monday into Tuesday. The National Weather Service received reports early Tuesday of 3 inches at Maple Plain, 2.5 inches in Burnsville and 1.7 inches in Minneapolis.
There were some locally higher amounts to the north, including 4 to 5 inches near Detroit Lakes, Wadena and Hinckley.
After a band of snow moved across the region overnight, lingering snow showers continued Tuesday morning in the Twin Cities and southeast Minnesota.
Winter weather advisories continue for parts of northwest Wisconsin through midday, as bands of lake-enhanced snow move in from Lake Superior.
It’ll be a blustery day across the region on Tuesday, with gusty northwest winds. The National Weather Service said trick-or-treaters heading out Tuesday afternoon and evening should expect wind chills in the teens to low 20s.
But as many Minnesotans know, it could be a lot worse. This year is the 32nd anniversary of the 1991 Halloween Blizzard that dropped 1 to 3 FEET of snow across the region.
Links for more information
Here’s how to keep tabs on forecasts and travel conditions.
Forecast updates
MPR News: Radar and forecast information
National Weather Service: Snowfall reports
Travel conditions
These state transportation departments offer live updates on road conditions and crashes:
For bus and light rail riders in the Twin Cities, Metro Transit offers weather-related updates on its Metro Transit and Metro Transit Alerts Twitter pages, as well as on its website.