MINNEAPOLIS — Freezing temperatures and high winds continued to affect travel across Minnesota on Saturday as forecasters warned that more inclement weather is on the way.
The Minnesota State Patrol reported hundreds of crashes and more than two dozen injuries between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. Winds gusts reached 74 mph in places like Grand Marais. And although some travel restrictions were lifted and parts of I-90 were reopened, state officials said people should still travel with caution.
"Highways are reopening & conditions are slowly improving in southern Minnesota, but please DRIVE WITH CAUTION," the Minnesota Department of Transportation tweeted Saturday afternoon. "Blowing snow is still creating drifts, limited visibility + slick spots across the region — and several highways remain closed or No Travel Advised this afternoon."
A wind chill advisory across the Twin Cities remains in effect until Sunday morning. The National Weather Service said wind chills will dip to -30 degrees in Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Washington and Dakota counties, and warns that winds could cause frostbite on exposed skin within 30 minutes.
Throughout the weekend, forecasters expect 1 to 3 inches of snow will fall in the Twin Cities. Most of central and southern Minnesota could see about an inch of snow accumulate before temperatures warm Monday.
Travelers planning to fly in or out of Minneapolis saw more cancellations. According to the flight tracking website flightaware.com, there were 150 flights canceled and 146 delays by 3:50 p.m. Saturday. The site projects hundreds more delays on Sunday, with as many as 1,421 flights canceled.
Buses across the state were also slowed by the conditions — and by traffic from the Minnesota Vikings' game against the New York Giants. Metro Transit said at 4 p.m. that 58% of its buses were delayed, with the average delay time stretching to 10 minutes.
