Minnesota winter storm leads to hundreds of crashes, vehicles off the road

Multi-vehicle pileup on Hwy. 52 in Inver Grove Heights [8 a.m. update]

There's a multi-vehicle pileup on Highway 52 near Inver Grove Heights, which is causing backups in both directions. This is among several incidents on area roadways Wednesday morning as motorists navigate a slippery, messy commute.

(FOX 9) - More than 250 crashes were reported since Tuesday afternoon after a winter storm dropped snow on Minnesota.

Minnesota snow

What we know:

A clipper system out of the Dakotas dropped as much as 8 inches of snow on some spots in central Minnesota starting Tuesday afternoon and stretching into the overnight hours.

In the Twin Cities metro, totals were typically between 3 and 5 inches, with the official total at MSP Airport at 4.1 inches.

READ MORE: School closings for Wednesday | Latest road conditions | Cities declare snow emergencies: List | Forecast: Temperatures will plunge this weekend | Semi-truck pileup spills pasta

Snow crashes in MN

By the numbers:

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, between Tuesday at noon and Wednesday at 9 a.m., there were 255 vehicle crashes, 375 vehicles reported off the road, and 13 jackknifed semis. Of the crashes, there were 19 with reported injuries and one fatal wreck.

Dig deeper:

A wreck during the 8 o'clock hour FOX 9 traffic reporter Lauren Andrego spotted along Highway 52 at the Concord Boulevard exit in Inver Grove Heights.

At least three cars were involved in a pile-up crash and several others, including a semi, had gone off the road on the icy stretch. The crashes snarled traffic as tow trucks worked to clear the area.