Winter Weather Advisory Through at Least 6:00 Wednesday Evening

(KNSI) — The National Weather Service says up to five inches of snow are expected Wednesday as a large and slow moving winter storm continues to hang around.

As of 6:00 Wednesday morning, St. Cloud’s official snow total was 6.8″, Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport rang in at 10″ even, and the National Weather Service forecast office in Chanhassen recorded 9.4″. Other areas, such as Pleasant Lake south of Clearwater showed 10.6″ at 7:00 a.m., and it’s not done yet.

A winter weather advisory is in place until at least 6:00 Wednesday night as forecasters say light to moderate snow will continue to fall through the daylight hours and then diminish and end from west to east overnight and be done by 6:00 Thursday morning. Pockets of freezing drizzle are possible this afternoon and evening, where the snow will sometimes become lighter.

Schools were called off for a second straight day as roads, especially in rural areas, were nearly impassable. Road conditions are expected to remain bad with the lingering snow and freezing drizzle. From 11:30 Tuesday morning through 7:30 Wednesday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol responded to 226 crashes, with 12 of those being injury crashes. One person died in a crash just south of Clearwater. There were 804 spinouts and vehicles off the road and 13 jackknifed semis. Keep track of changing road conditions by clicking here.

Medical experts say to take it easy if you have to be out shoveling or blowing snow. Heavy, wet snow can put a considerable strain on one’s heart. Stay hydrated, take frequent breaks and only move small amounts with each shovel pass.

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