Power lines snap in southwestern Minnesota, highways closed

(FOX 9) - Heavy snow and wind gusts of 40-50 miles per hour have caused power lines to snap or go down across southwestern Minnesota, closing highways in the region. 

Downed power lines from the storm causing road closures been reported across Interstate 90 west of Jackson, Highway 60 near Wilder, Highway 86 south of Lakefield, Highway 71 south of Jackson and along Highway 59 between Worthington and Fulda.

Interstate 90 was closed for short while near Alden because a power line was dropping down.  

Over 50,000 power outages due to the storm were reported in Minnesota and South Dakota Thursday, according to Xcel Energy. Xcel is working quickly to address the downed lines and restore power to the region as quickly as possible. 

Stay up to date with the this week's winter weather by downloading the FOX 9 Weather App. It has the latest temperatures, forecasts, snow totals and school closings 24/7. Download it for Android or Apple.