Snow leads to accidents, snow emergency declarations

Updated at 2:00 p.m.

Between three and six inches of snow fell across a wide swath of the state Friday night and Saturday morning, leading to snow emergency declarations in the Twin Cities and hundreds of accidents statewide. One person died in Blue Earth County.

The storm system started moving through the western part of the state early Friday.

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"We saw a pretty broad band of moderate snowfall," said Chris Franks, National Weather Service meteorologist. "It never fell particularly hard at one time, it was just a nice, steady snow for most of the night and early this morning."

Snowfall totals ranged from six inches in Farmington to just two inches in Albert Lea. The snowfall totals were right around four to five inches in the Twin Cities.

As of late Saturday morning, the storm was exiting eastern Minnesota and starting to move through western Wisconsin, Franks said.

The Minnesota State Patrol reports that there were 310 crashes across the state between 6 p.m. Friday night and 11 a.m. on Saturday. Thirty-nine of those accidents involved injuries.

One person died in Blue Earth County Saturday after their car was broadsided on Highway 14, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The victim hasn't yet been identified.

The State Patrol also received reports of 226 spin outs or vehicles off the road.

Crews are plowing roads, but transportation officials warn that roads are still treacherous in some southern and central parts of the state, especially around Rochester. Minnesota Department of Transportation spokesperson Kevin Gutknecht said more than 150 plows were out in the Twin Cities metro area alone.

"People are re-learning how to drive in the winter," Gutknecht said. "This not an unusual occurrence, so people just need to slow down and take their time."

Minneapolis and St. Paul both declared snow emergencies. Any cars not moved off the plow routes will be ticketed and towed.

St. Paul's snow emergency will start at 9 p.m. on Saturday, when all streets designated as "night plow routes" will be cleared. Starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, the city will focus on "day plow routes," which includes all streets not marked as a night plow route.

Minneapolis' snow emergency also begins at 9 p.m. Saturday night. Until 8 a.m. Sunday morning, the city says no parking allowed on either side of snow emergency streets. Day two of the snow emergency is from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, when the city prohibits parking on the even side of non-snow emergency routes and both sides of parkways. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, there is no parking on the odd side of non-snow emergency streets.