Severe Winter Storm Disrupts Minnesota, Bringing Blizzards and Power Outages

A formidable late-winter storm slammed into southern and eastern Minnesota early Wednesday, unleashing heavy snowfall, fierce winds, and blizzard-like conditions.

Numerous school districts, stretching as far north as the Twin Cities, opted to either delay or cancel classes, or pivot to online learning. Metro Transit halted bus services temporarily in the Twin Cities, while the Minnesota Department of Transportation shut down multiple highways, particularly in the southwest and south-central regions. This included significant stretches of Interstate 90 between Luverne and Albert Lea.

“As I-90 is closed, surrounding roads are likely worse. It’s safest to stay home,” warned Nobles County Emergency Management late Tuesday in southwest Minnesota.

The closures also affected State Highway 60, running from the Iowa state line to Mankato.

Scott Morgan, the assistant district engineer for maintenance operations at MnDOT’s District 7 covering south-central Minnesota, explained to MPR’s Morning Edition that Tuesday’s rain resulted in an icy layer beneath the overnight snow.

“Plow crews are still working to clear the roads, but it’s challenging due to the reduced visibility. The wind is blowing the snow back onto the roads as they clear it,” Morgan stated early Wednesday.

He described parts of I-90 as “glare ice,” with snowdrifts forming roadblocks. “It’s just really difficult out there right now,” he noted.

Between midnight and 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Minnesota State Patrol reported over 200 highway incidents, including crashes and spinouts.

The National Weather Service reported early Wednesday snowfalls of 10.5 inches in Ellendale, 10 inches in Woodbury, 8.5 inches in Apple Valley, 7.5 inches near Kenyon, and 6 inches near Faribault.

At the Twin Cities airport, 7.4 inches of snow was officially recorded by 6 a.m.

Winds from the north were gusting at over 45 miles per hour.

School disruptions affected Anoka-Hennepin, Mankato, and Rochester. St. Paul Public Schools switched to online learning. Minneapolis Public Schools canceled in-person classes for pre-K through 5th grade, moving grades 6-12 to e-learning.

The district emphasized, “Middle and high school students need an e-learning day to ensure MPS complies with state instructional hour requirements,” in a statement early Wednesday.

Blizzard warnings were set to last until 3 p.m. Wednesday for southern Minnesota, with the Twin Cities metro area under a winter storm warning until the same time.

Around 6 a.m., Metro Transit announced a halt to all bus services in the Twin Cities until further notice due to dangerous road conditions, including Metro Mobility services. However, light rail and Northstar trains continued as usual.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported approximately 50 flight delays or cancellations by 8 a.m. Airport officials stated that the snow removal team had been working overnight to keep runways clear.

The mix of heavy, wet snow, likened to concrete, paired with gusty winds of 50 mph or more led to widespread power outages in the area.

Utility providers across the Twin Cities and southern areas reported over 10,000 homes and businesses without electricity as of 7:15 a.m. Wednesday.

Xcel Energy acknowledged the severe weather and stated they planned to “deploy extra crews Wednesday to tackle outages, prioritizing the largest to restore service to the most customers swiftly.”

March 5 saw numerous school closures and delays across districts, each responding differently to the severe weather with cancellations and e-learning implementations. A comprehensive list of school closures and delays illustrated the widespread impact of the storm.