Wintry weather creates slick, hazardous conditions on roads for holiday weekend

(KMSP) - Overnight, a blast of winter weather hit Minnesota with snow coming down fast and heavy. 

The wintry conditions made for a slippery commute for the holiday weekend. 

There were 355 crashes statewide between 9 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. 

While none of the crashes were fatal, a serious accident caused by the icy conditions left one person hurt on I-35E and Duckwood Trail in Eagan. 

“When the snow falls or when it freezes, we’re going to have ice and folks need to be aware of that and slow down,” said Kevin Gutknecht with the Minnesota Department of Transportation. 

By mid-afternoon Saturday, there were still problems on the roads. An accident involving three cars on Interstate 494 near Lyndale Avenue in Bloomington brought traffic to a crawl. 

“The temperature is supposed to drop tonight, therefore there’s going to likely be a re-freeze of snow that’s melted and gotten on the road and then it freezes and turns into ice,” said Gutknecht. 

As the metro area braces for another round of freezing temperatures, MnDOT said plows will continue to work to clear and salt roads for what is expected to be a busy Easter weekend. 

“Tomorrow morning, and overnight, folks need to be really careful and watch where they’re driving and be aware of road conditions,” Gutknecht said.