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Weather and Climate News
MPR News Staff
Updated:

Hazardous driving conditions reported on many Minnesota highways

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Driving conditions on many Minnesota highways were hazardous on Saturday, especially in northern Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported heavy snow on roadways in the Brainerd, Grand Rapids and International Falls area.

There were also icy roads in southern Minnesota, especially near Marshall.

Road conditions throughout Minnesota live

Lt. Mike Lee with the State Patrol urged drivers to use caution.

“Definitely where there’s been some inclement weather presenting some hazardous driving conditions and people are just driving too fast for conditions and incidents are happening, whether they’re vehicles off the road, crashes, or even jackknifed semis,” he said.

State troopers reported 59 crashes statewide between midnight and 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Those include two fatal crashes and four others resulting in injuries. Seventy-one vehicles also went off the road, with four jackknifed semis.

Lee said many of the crashes took place in areas around St. Cloud and Detroit Lakes.

Just before 7 a.m. on Saturday, a high crosswind overturned a semi on Highway 2 near East Grand Forks. The drive of the semi, a 20-year-old from Litchfield, received non-life threatening injuries.

Timothy Lynch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, confirmed the high winds in the area early Saturday. Winds peaked at about 60 mph at about 8 a.m., then dropped off to gusts of 53 mph about an hour later.

“Those winds are kicking up some dust on the west side of this storm as well,” Lynch said.

The State Patrol advises drivers to check road conditions on 5-1-1 and to practice safe driving.