Travel advisories issued for portions of Southern Minnesota as storm moves closer
I-35 near Rush City at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 3. (MnDOT)
As our next winter storm moves into the upper Midwest, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is issuing No Travel advisories for counties in southern Minnesota due to visibility issues caused by the combination of heavy snowfall and strong winds.
As the storm moves further to the northeast, travel conditions in Northland counties could deteriorate, especially in Aitkin, Pine, and Carlton counties in Minnesota, then moving into Wisconsin counties.
Storm Track Chief Meteorologist Justin Liles says the brunt of the bad travel conditions will be from the Twin Ports-south. Road conditions will likely have blowing and drifting snow through much of east central Minnesota and all of Wisconsin.
Justin says heavy snow, along with winds that could blow as high as 40 mph will make the Tuesday evening commute and Wednesday morning commute difficult. Read his full forecast.
Although roads in southern and southcentral Minnesota are still open as of 3:30 p.m., MnDOT says it is dangerous to travel in these areas due to intermittent white out conditions. MnDOT 511.org shows many of the state roadways are completely snow covered. If you must venture out this evening or tonight, you should allow extra drive time, and let someone know your destination.
Currently the advisory includes the following counties, and state officials add the southern parts of both Kandiyohi and Meeker counties are also experiencing difficult driving conditions:
- Brown
- Chippewa
- Cottonwood
- Jackson
- Lac qui Parle
- Lincoln
- Lyon
- Martin
- McLeod
- Murray
- Nobles
- Pipestone
- Redwood
- Renville
- Rock
- Watonwan
- Yellow Medicine
MnDOT officials warn to watch for slippery road conditions and possible downed trees or power lines.
According to Hubbard Broadcasting’s KSTP, as of 6:25 a.m. Tuesday, officials at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) have canceled 128 flights and delayed 33 flights. By 11 a.m., there were 136 cancellations and 63 delays. Those numbers could continue to add up; find the latest flight information on the MSP flights page or the FlightAware log.