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MN weather: Slick roads Thursday following Wednesday’s snow

By FOX 9 Staff
Published  November 21, 2024 6:26am CST
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The Brief

    • Snow on Wednesday and overnight freezing temperatures created some slick road conditions in the Twin Cities metro area, and elsewhere in Minnesota on Thursday.
    • The Minnesota State Patrol reported 577 crashes in Minnesota on Wednesday, from midnight to 9 p.m., and there have been additional crashes overnight.
    • As of 6:20 a.m., MnDOT has reported some light slush on Twin Cities roadways.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - While there wasn't a lot of snow in the Twin Cities metro on Wednesday, some of the roads are still slick on Thursday morning. 

WEATHER FORECAST: Gray, windy and dry on Thursday

Slick roads

Those heading out on Thursday should plan some extra drive time as roads remain slippery from overnight freezing temperatures and snow on Wednesday. 

READ MORE: Snow totals from Wednesday's blast of wintry weather

The Minnesota State Patrol reported 577 crashes across Minnesota from midnight to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, along with 168 spinouts and 23 jackknifed semi-trucks. 

MnDOT traffic camera of slippery roads in Twin Cities after Wednesday snow.  (MnDOT traffic camera / Supplied)

Additional crashes have been reported overnight, including a multi-vehicle crash in Burnsville, which happened around midnight on the Interstate 35W bridge over the Minnesota River. The driver of an SUV had already spun out when two other drivers lost control and spun across the ice, before they all collided. 

MnDOT traffic cameras have captured the aftermath of several collisions and spinous on Twin Cities roadways Thursday morning. You can watch the traffic camera's live on FOX 9's YouTube channel, and in the player above. 

Wednesday's snow in Minnesota

The snow started in the Twin Cities before sunrise on Wednesday when air temperatures started to dip below freezing, but the roads were in pretty good shape until the evening commute.

This is because the freeze-thaw cycle for soil is delayed by air temperature. It takes a while for the ground to catch up to colder air temperatures, especially during daylight.

Well, after several plus hours of sub-freezing air temperatures on Wednesday, the ground started to freeze. Add a snowy burst for a few hours around and over the evening commute as that is occurring, and that spells accumulating snow on our roadways and some slippery conditions.

The exact opposite will likely happen on Thursday as air temperatures start the day above freezing, but the ground is still frozen, so our snow will take a little while to melt on our roads and grassy surfaces.

Current road conditions

Roads remain slick following Wednesday's snow

FOX 9's Bill Keller is monitoring slick road conditions Thursday morning, following overnight freezing temperatures and snowfall from Wednesday.

According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation's website, as of 6:20 a.m., there's some light slush on roads across the Twin Cities, while some roadways in northwestern Minnesota are covered in ice. 

You can check the latest road conditions and reported road incidents on MnDOT's 511 website here. 

MN weather: Gray and windy day Thursday

Temperatures return to above freezing in the Twin Cities metro on Thursday, though it will be rather windy with gusts topping out at 40 mph. FOX 9 meteorologist Cody Matz has your forecast.