Minnesota weather: Snow, wind making for messy roads

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Overnight snow and wind are making for messy roads on Wednesday across the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota. 

Snowy Wednesday in Minnesota

What to expect:

Snow will continue to fall through the morning commute. Wind is also an issue, with gusts upwards of 40 mph in the Twin Cities. A winter storm warning is in effect for the Twin Cities and much of western Wisconsin, while most of southern Minnesota is under a blizzard warning until Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy snow will taper to lighter snow and then flurries through the morning commute, with snow wrapping up by lunchtime. Difficult travel is expected as the cleanup process continues into the afternoon. 

After the snow, it'll turn sunny Wednesday afternoon, but it'll stay windy. By Wednesday night, it'll be cold and quiet, as breezes gradually relax. Thursday will be tranquil and sunny, with a high of around 36 degrees. The angle of the March sun will help melt all this snow. 

Current road conditions in Minnesota

Messy commute:

In addition to the expected snow-covered roads, there is a lot of drifting on area roadways. Conditions can change quickly due to the winds — just because the road you're on is clear doesn't mean the next road will be, even on main city streets. 

RELATED: Metro Transit suspends bus service during Wednesday morning snowstorm

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is advising no travel in much of southern Minnesota west of Interstate 35, including a closure of Interstate 90 between Luverne and Albert Lea Wednesday morning. 

READ MORE: MN weather: Snowy roads lead to dozens of crashes and spinouts on Wednesday

Meanwhile, roads across the Twin Cities are listed by MnDOT as completely covered in snow. Road conditions prompted Metro Transit to suspend bus service "until further notice" Wednesday morning. 

You can check current road conditions for your commute here. 

Crashes on Minnesota roads 

By the numbers:

The Minnesota State Patrol reported between midnight and 7 a.m. there had been 70 property damage crashes, 111 vehicles off the road, 25 spinouts, seven jackknifed semis, and two injury crashes. 

State Patrol Sgt. Troy Christianson reported from 5 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. that troopers had responded to 236 vehicles off the road, 149 property damage crashes, 21 jackknifed semis and nine injury crashes. The State Patrol is expected to release additional crash numbers later in the day. 

Power outages reported

Xcel Energy Center is reporting about 7,000 customers without power as of 4 a.m. Wednesday after some snow and wind likely took down some power lines. 

READ MORE: Semi teetering on the edge of snowy overpass in Maplewood

Minnesota, Wisconsin school closings

The snowstorm led to numerous school closings and delays on Wednesday. You can find a list here. 

Snow totals in Minnesota

By the numbers:

Here's a look at some snow totals on Wednesday:

• Dennison: 13 inches (as of noon)
• Lakeville: 12 inches (as of 11 a.m.)
• Elko New Maret: 11.5 inches (as of noon)
• Apple Valley: 11.1 inches (as of noon)
• Eagan: 10.5 inches (as of 11 a.m.)
• Ellendale: 10.2 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Northfield: 10 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Woodbury: 10 inches (as of noon)
• Prior Lake: 9.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• MSP Airport: 9.5 inches (as of 12 p.m.) — the largest snowfall of the season
• Owatonna: 9 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Shoreview: 9 inches (as of noon)
• Inver Grove Heights: 9 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Stillwater: 9 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• South St. Paul: 8.7 (as of noon)
• Oakdale: 8.5 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Bloomington: 8.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Nye, Wisconsin: 8.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Rosemount: 8.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Burnsville: 8.2 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• New Brighton: 8.2 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• St. Anthony: 8 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Savage: 8 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Hastings: 8 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• River Falls, Wisconsin: 8 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Downtown St. Paul: 8 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Edina: 8 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Albert Lea: 8 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Hugo: 7.8 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Eden Prairie: 7.8 inches (as of noon)
• White Bear Lake: 7.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Mankato: 7.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Chanhassen: 7.4 inches (as of noon)
• Fridley: 7.3 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Richfield: 7.2 (as of 6 a.m.)
• Cottage Grove: 7.2 inches (as of 7 a.m.)
• Downtown Minneapolis: 7 inches (as of noon)
• Amery, Wisconsin: 6.8 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Lino Lakes: 6.6 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Chisago City: 6.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Victoria: 6.1 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Roseville: 6 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Coon Rapids: 5.6 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Blaine: 5.6 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Menomonie: 5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• North Branch: 4.7 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Robbinsdale: 4.6 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Anoka: 4.5 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Plymouth: 4.2 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Corcoran: 4 inches (as of 7 a.m.)
• Long Lake: 4 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Rochester: 3.5 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Oak Grove: 3 inches (as of 6 a.m.)
• Glencoe: 2.7 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Monticello: 2.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Marshall: 2.5 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Sherburne: 2.2 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Champlin: 2.1 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• Maple Lake: 2 inches (as of 7 a.m.)
• Dassel: 1.8 inches (as of 7:30 a.m.)
• St. Cloud: 0.8 inches (as of 7 a.m.)
• Little Falls: 0.5 inches (as of 6 a.m.)

Send FOX 9 your snow totals, but don't take a measurement of a drift — try to find the average in your yard or on your deck. 

Track the snow storm

What you can do:

FOX 9 is tracking the storm as it moves through Minnesota. We will have live coverage starting at 2 a.m. Wednesday. 

You can watch all of our local coverage on Wednesday and beyond on FOX LOCAL. Learn how to download it to your smart TV or through Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, and other services by clicking here.