Winter storm brings blizzard conditions and travel disruptions in Minnesota and Midwest

A major winter storm swept through Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sunday, bringing blizzard conditions and hazardous travel across the upper Midwest and Great Lakes. The National Weather Service warned the system would bring heavy snow and blizzard conditions through Monday, and a blizzard warning was in effect late Sunday for parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.

Wind gusts reached up to 50 miles per hour in southern Minnesota, roads were blanketed and visibility fell to a half-mile or less, the Weather Service said. Gov. Tim Walz authorized the National Guard to support emergency winter storm operations, officials said. Reports of crashes and spinouts were accumulating.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported at least three crashes with injuries and nearly 121 vehicles off the road, and the state transportation department said multiple roads in southern Minnesota, including a portion of Interstate 35 near the Iowa border, were closed. The storm also disrupted air travel: Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport had a ground stop earlier Sunday, and FlightAware recorded at least 400 delayed flights and more than 170 cancellations at the airport as of Sunday evening.

Across the region, PowerOutage.com showed more than 70,000 customers in Michigan without power as of about 3 a.m. Forecasts called for heavy snow from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to last into Tuesday with wind gusts over 40 m.p.h. and subzero wind chills in parts of the Midwest.

Key Topics

World, Winter Storm, Minnesota, Wisconsin, National Weather Service, Tim Walz