Minnesota digs out from major March snowstorm

A handful of helpful neighbors helped Tavion Williams push his sedan out of its frozen, snowy parking spot in Minneapolis' King Field neighborhood Monday afternoon.

The car had been stuck there for two days, Williams said.

"I appreciate them," he said. "I thought I didn't need their help, but I guess it's just a team effort."

Meanwhile, the cleanup continued across the Twin Cities. In St. Paul, there was no shortage of shovels and snow blowers. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have snow emergencies in place as of Monday. In Minneapolis, more than 150 vehicles have been towed. In St. Paul, that number is near 200.

"Apparently, I parked at the wrong place and I got towed," said Favour Ikechukwu. 

The Concordia University student said she had to pay a steep price.

"I don't got $246, I'm a college student, so I had to cough the money up either way," said Ikechukwu.

In Minnesota's largest suburb, it's a bit of a different story. City of Bloomington Maintenance Superintendent Tim Behrendt said a staff of 65 people has already cleared not just city streets, but residential ones as well, with the strong March sun playing a key role in melting snow.

"We had folks come in at 3 a.m. this morning and they pretty much had everything wrapped up about 9 a.m.," said Behrendt.

One additional service the city provides is sidewalk clearing, which is exactly what crews were doing Monday afternoon.

"Life in Minneapolis, man. We just had 60-degree weather. Now you're stuck in the snow," said Williams.

In the hours between midnight Friday and midnight Monday, the Minnesota State Patrol says there were 464 property damage crashes on Minnesota roads.

One of those crashes resulted in a fatality, and 40 resulted in injuries.

The state patrol says there were also 46 spinouts and 651 cars off the road, along with 19 jackknifed semis. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul have both declared snow emergencies in the wake of this weekend's massive blizzard.

According to the National Weather Service, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport saw just over 7 inches of accumulation, while Maple Grove and Eagan both gained 10 inches. Bloomington got about a half-inch less.

Northfield and Hopkins are also under snow emergencies.

Click here for full snow emergency information.

Highs will be in the mid-teens Monday in the Twin Cities. Travel will improve, especially in southern Minnesota. It's still breezy at times with some blowing snow in open areas.

A quieter Tuesday lies ahead with a mix of clouds and sun. Temperatures stay seasonably cool.  

A quick system moves through Tuesday night with 1 to 2 inches of snow possible.  

[Full forecast]

It might be a pain and cause travel chaos, but Minnesota's weekend blizzard is also bringing a lot of fun, especially for furry friends who got to have a fun snow day with their owners, and people who wait for this weather.

On a steep hill, under the towering silhouette of the Saint Paul Water Tower, If you listen closely — despite the wind — you'll hear the sounds of childhood.

"I loved it when it was warm but it's really fun when it's cold, too, and all snowy because there are so many things you can do in the snow," said a young sledder.

Kids and parents lined up, one by one, sleds in hand and skis on feet, waiting for their turn to take on this hill.

"We love to get outside, you know, because like a couple days before when it was like 60 and there was no snow, we really loved like being out here, and since there is snow out here we get another opportunity," said Central High School freshman Maurshawn Harris.

[Full story]

St. Paul Public Schools says classes are canceled Monday, and it won't be an E-learning day. 

"Discovery Club and Adult Basic Education will be closed. All other athletic events and after-school activities will be canceled, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis," district officials said. "Varsity Athletics may continue as scheduled at the discretion of the Site Administrator."

Click here for the latest closings.  

Minneapolis Public Schools have declared Monday a severe weather day.

Pre-K through fifth grade will have no school on Monday.

Middle and high school students will have an e-learning day.

Click here for the latest closings.

The word of the day Sunday in southern Minnesota was "challenging," with snow conditions making roads difficult to navigate.

In the early morning hours, when the snow was falling the fastest, Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesperson Mike Dougherty said that up to four plows ended up in temporary trouble, requiring help from other trucks to get back on the road.

"There were times there with the snow rate and snow visibility that it was really challenging," Dougherty said.

By about 3 p.m., MnDOT closed Interstate 35 south of Albert Lea in coordination with the State of Iowa, which shut down its portion of the interstate starting at the Minnesota border.

[Full story]

Snow will continue to push east out of the region by Monday morning. A slow morning commute is still possible due to clean up and winds still blowing snow around.

Monday will be colder with highs in the teens and wind chills below zero.

Tuesday's highs are in the 20s with another inch of snow possible late Tuesday.

[Full story]

According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest snow fell across southeastern Minnesota, with most in the region seeing around a foot of accumulation, including the southwest metro.

Around 20.5 inches of snow fell overnight in Wabasha, while Rochester racked up around 14 inches of accumulation.

Closer to the Twin Cities, Prior Lake got around 13.7 inches of snow. Maple Grove and Eagan both gained 10 inches, and Bloomington saw 9.5 inches. Snow wasn't much of an issue to the north or to the west.

[Full story]

The Minnesota House announced on social media Sunday afternoon that all committee meetings have been canceled for Monday due to the snowstorm.

"The plan is for the 3:30 p.m. floor session to occur with remote participation encouraged for members unable to arrive safely," House leaders wrote.

As of 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Minnesota Senate's Monday committee meetings are still planned as scheduled.

With more than a foot of snow expected in parts of Minnesota by Monday, dozens of schools and organizations are expected to stay closed.

Click here for the latest closings information.

According to WCCO's Next Weather Watchers, 15 inches of snow fell overnight in Wabasha, with areas like Lakeville and Cannon Falls seeing more than 12 inches. 

Closer to the Twin Cities, Savage got around 10.5 inches of snow. Champlin saw 6.4 inches, and Edina saw 5.7 inches.

[Full story]

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says it will close Interstate 35 southbound at Albert Lea by 3 p.m. Sunday. Officials in Iowa intend to close the area on south around that time. 

MnDOT says it will keep the southbound highway closed until officials reopen it in Iowa.

According to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, hundreds of flights have been canceled Sunday.

So far, 332 flights that were set to arrive have been canceled, with another 125 arriving on time.

The airport says 360 departures have been canceled, while 96 were able to take off on time.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation says there are whiteout conditions on Minnesota roads, and travel is not advised in southern Minnesota.

The advisories include Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona counties. The warning includes parts of Interstate 35 and Interstate 90. 

"Snowplows are having difficulty in current conditions but remain on the roads at this time. Current rates of snow are covering roads faster than snowplows can clear a driving lane," MnDOT said.

Most of the roads in the Twin Cities area are also completely covered in snow, MnDOT says.

The trajectory of the March storm has shifted slightly south, and while the Twin Cities could see an additional 6 to 10 inches of snow Sunday, the heaviest snowfall amounts could be slightly to the south.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport said it had gotten 7.3 inches of snow as 7 a.m. Sunday, with the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen reporting 7.6 inches. Areas in Savage and Elko New Market saw more than 10 inches of snow.

There's more still to come, and strong wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph are creating visibility issues. In Eden Prairie, the visibility is down to 3/4 of a mile.

WCCO's NEXT Weather team is on top of snowstorm updates. Watch continuing coverage all morning in the live player above and on YouTube. 

The Minnesota National Guard are on standby in various spots in southern Minnesota, prepared for activation should rescue operations become necessary during this weekend's storm.

Colonel John McCrae, director of operations for the Minnesota National Guard, said that members are in position at armory locations in Albert Lea, Fairmont, Owatonna and Redwood Falls.

Gov. Tim Walz has signed an executive order authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations for a winter storm expected late Saturday into Sunday.

"We have armories all around the state, and that allows us to be able to respond pretty quickly in times like this," McCrae said.

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Several Twin Cities businesses will be closed Sunday due to snowstorm:

• All Minnesota Historical Society sites in the metro
• Como Park Zoo & Conservatory
• All Bachman's locations
• Minnesota Children's Museum

One person was hurt in a multi-vehicle crash that happened just before 8 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 35 near Elko New Market, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

"Preliminary investigation indicates a primary crash occurred, most likely with a vehicle and the guardrail, resulting in the vehicle becoming disabled in the middle of the road," the state patrol says. "This caused a secondary crash involving multiple vehicles."

The victim's injuries are not considered life-threatening.

As of 9:30 p.m. Saturday, more than 600 flights scheduled to arrive and depart Sunday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport are canceled, according to FlightAware.com.

During a press conference on Saturday, both Mayors Kaohly Her and Jacob Frey announced snow emergencies. The emergencies will go into effect at 9 p.m. on Sunday, but residents of both cities are encouraged to move their cars on Saturday. 

Minneapolis has opened up a parking lot at the Salvation Army and the parking lot at the farmers market. Parking at these locations will be free for residents until Wednesday at 8 p.m. Starting Sunday, Parking Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis will also be open and residents will only need to pay $1. 

St. Paul will open up the block 19 ramp in downtown St. Paul, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, for free parking for St. Paul residents. The city will also open some St. Paul park lots as they become available and recommend residents check the city's website. St. Paul officials also said that due to the snow, there will be no garbage pickup Monday.

GET THE LATEST ON SNOW EMERGENCIES

The city of St. Louis Park is issuing a snow emergency starting at 10 p.m. Saturday. The city says the snow emergency may stay in effect longer due to the large amounts of snow expected. 

During a press conference on Saturday, both Mayors Kaohly Her and Jacob Frey announced snow emergencies. The emergencies will go into effect at 9 p.m. on Sunday, but residents of both cities are encouraged to move their cars on Saturday. 

Minneapolis has opened up a parking lot at the Salvation Army and the parking lot at the farmers market. Parking at these locations will be free for residents until Wednesday at 8 p.m. Starting Sunday, Parking Ramp A in downtown Minneapolis will also be open and residents will only need to pay $1. 

St. Paul will open up the block 19 ramp in downtown St. Paul, starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, for free parking for St. Paul residents. The city will also open some St. Paul park lots as they become available and recommend residents check the city's website. St. Paul officials also said that due to the snow, there will be no garbage pickup Monday.

Gov. Tim Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard on Friday, ahead of the storm. 

"Despite recent Spring weather, Minnesotans know that a March snowstorm is never out of the question," said Walz. "As we brace for this potentially dangerous round of winter weather, I am grateful to our National Guard for stepping in to keep Minnesotans safe."   

As of Saturday, the national have four armories in the south and metro area of the state — Owatonna, Redwood Falls, Fairmont and Albert Lea. 

"We have armories all around the state all around the state, and that allows us to be able to respond pretty quickly in times like this," said Colonel John McCrae,  Director of Operations for the Minnesota National Guard. "So those are the four armories that, based on the local need. I would note that those four armories, we have vehicles that are called SUSVs and that is a tracked vehicle that is able to operate in snow and ice conditions." 

"We're your friends and neighbors," said McCrae. "We want Minnesotans to be safe. You know, we care about the community, and we want Minnesotans to be safe, and we want to be a part of that effort to keep you safe, so we're happy to help."

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety recommends checking road conditions and having an emergency car kit if you have to travel. 

Below is a list of items to include in your car's emergency kit this winter:

Credit: Minnesota Department of Public Safety 

• Jumper Cables
• Ice Scraper + Brush
• Portable Shovel
• Flashlight (with backup batteries)
• First-Aid Kit
• Cell Phone Charger and Adapter
• Pencil & Paper
• Extra Gloves, Jacket, Hat, Socks, Boots
• Water
• Snacks - granola bars, protein bars
• Hand & Toe Warmers
• Large Plastic Garbage Bag
• Whistle
• Small Candles with Matches
• Swiss Army Knife or other Basic Tools
• Bag of Sand or Non-Clumping Kitty Litter
• Sleeping Bag or Blankets
• Red Bandanna or Cloth
• Road flares or Reflective Warning Triangles
• Towing cables or chain