Funviralpark Freezing temperatures and strong winds continued to make travel across Minnesota difficult on Saturday, with forecasters warning of more severe weather ahead.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported hundreds of crashes and more than 20 injuries from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning. Wind gusts reached 74 mph in places like the Grand Marais. And while some travel restrictions have been lifted and parts of the I-90 have reopened, state officials said people should continue to travel with caution.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation said, “Though conditions are gradually improving as highways reopen in southern Minnesota, please drive with caution.” murmured Saturday afternoon. “The blizzard still creates drift, visibility is limited, there are slippery spots throughout the area, and some highways are still closed or discouraged from traveling this afternoon.”
A wind and cold advisory for the entire Twin Cities is in effect until Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said wind chills could drop to minus 30 degrees Celsius in Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Washington and Dakota counties, and winds could frostbite exposed skin within 30 minutes. I am warning you.
Forecasters expect 1 to 3 inches of snow in the Twin Cities over the weekend. Most of central and southern Minnesota could get about an inch of snow before temperatures warm up on Monday.
Travelers planning to enter or leave Minneapolis saw more cancellations. By 3:50 p.m. Saturday, 150 flights had been canceled and 146 flights delayed, according to flight tracking website Flightaware.com. The site predicts hundreds more delays and 1,421 canceled flights on Sunday.
Buses across the state were also slowed by conditions and by traffic from the Vikings game with the New York Giants. Metro said he transited at 4pm, 58% of his buses were delayed, and the average delay he had increased to 10 minutes.
