Minnesota weather: Light snow overnight after slow evening commute

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Roads are in bad shape in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota as a snowstorm moves across the state Tuesday evening. 

A winter storm is tracking its way across Minnesota that is bringing snow, a wintry mix and rain. It is expected to continue overnight into Wednesday night. 

Live updates:

FOX 9 will be live with the latest on the winter storm all day on Tuesday, until 10:30 p.m. and we'll be on early on FOX LOCAL starting at 3 a.m. on Wednesday. Watch live in the player above.

8:15 p.m. - Snow is finished for now 

The snow has stopped, for now. Temperatures are starting to rise a bit during this lull of snow. Another band of flurries is expected later Tuesday night into the overnight, making for a more difficult early morning commute. 

7 p.m. - Crash totals so far 

The Minnesota State Patrol reports that from 12 to 6 p.m., there were 130 property damage crashes, 12 injury crashes, six spin-outs, 147 vehicles off the road and 4 jack-knifed semis. 

Included in those crashes is a collision between four semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle at Interstate 94 and Highway 25 in Monticello. The crash resulted in a large amount of pasta spilling onto the roadway, and one minor injury. 

6:50 p.m. - Roads continue to worsen, lull in snow ahead

Roads continue to worsen as the snow continues, bringing major backups in the Twin Cities. The back edge of the snow is quickly moving through the metro. There will be a big lull in snow with temperatures popping briefly near or slightly above freezing. The falling temperatures will hit in a few hours, bringing some light snow and wind. 

4:40 p.m. - Snow changes to wintry mix

As the evening goes on, the snow in the Twin Cities metro is slowing down and turning into a mix of rain and snow as temperatures start to warm slightly each hour. 

Rain is heading towards the southern part of the metro, which will turn snow that has already fallen slushy. 

A swath of northern Minnesota, including part of the Twin Cities, is under a winter storm warning until 3 a.m. Wednesday. A swatch of southern Minnesota, also including the Twin Cities, is under a winter weather advisory until Wednesday at 6 a.m. 

4:15 p.m. - Slow evening commute with dozens of crashes 

The evening commute is set to be slow this evening with the snow in the area. MnDOT is reporting most of the roads as covered with snow. 

Dozens of crashes have also been reported across the metro, contributing to a long evening commute. 

For more information on road conditions, visit MnDOT's 511map. 

The Minnesota State Patrol says if you see one of its vehicles, or anyone, on the side of the shoulder, to move over and slow down. 

2:50 p.m. - More snow emergencies 

Brooklyn Center declared a snow emergency starting at 10 p.m. on Dec. 9. No on-street parking is allowed until roads are plowed curb to curb. 

A snow emergency was also declared a snow emergency, as soon as the snow reaches 2 inches. There is no parking allowed on city streets from Dec. 9-10, until the roads are plowed curb to curb. 

The City of Crystal declared a snow emergency starting at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 10. For more information, click here. 

1:30 p.m. - No travel advisory issued 

The Wilkin County Sheriff's Office, located in far western Minnesota, has issued a no travel advisory for the county due to the road conditions. 

"Please stay home if you do not have to travel. The conditions of the weather are and will be continuing to deteriorate. If you do have to travel make sure to have a full tank of fuel, warm clothing and a phone as it might be some time before we can get someone to you," the sheriff's office posted at around 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday.

1 p.m. — Snow arrives in Twin Cities metro 

Snow has started to fall across the Twin Cities metro on Tuesday afternoon.

Road conditions are beginning to deteriorate as MnDOT reports icy, slushy, and snow-covered roads across Minnesota, though some routes in the metro and southeastern regions remain clear. The latest road conditions can be found here. 

Noon — Snow starting to fall in western Minnesota 

A clipper system has entered western Minnesota, bringing initial reports of freezing rain and heavy snow.

As of noon, icy road conditions are being reported by MnDOT in far western areas, though the Twin Cities metro is currently seeing only light slush or clear roads. The latest road conditions can be found here. 

11:30 a.m. - Snow emergencies declared ahead of storm

In preparation for the winter storm, several metro-area cities, like West St. Paul and Brooklyn Park, have begun declaring snow emergencies.

While driving conditions have improved in the Twin Cities metro, some roads remain partially covered with light slush. MnDOT reports roads in far western Minnesota are seeing more ice and snow-covered roadways.

Road conditions will likely deteriorate once the system arrives. The latest road conditions can be found here. 

11 a.m. – Schools close early ahead of snow

Dozens of Minnesota school districts announced early closings on Tuesday ahead of the Tuesday snow. Most districts were closing between noon and 1 p.m.

A full list of school closings is available at the bottom of this article.

7 a.m. – Slick road conditions for morning commute

As of 7 a.m. the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) reports varying road conditions, with some highways covered in snow, slush, ice, or frost while others remain mostly clear. 

A few crashes have been reported in both the Twin Cities metro and greater Minnesota, though traffic delays have been limited so far. 

Road conditions will likely worsen for the evening commute as a snowy to wintry mix arrives in the Twin Cities metro. Lingering snow and gusty winds could also make for a challenging Wednesday morning commute. 

What to expect with Tuesday's storm

Timeline:

Here's a timeline of what to expect from Tuesday's storm: 

• Tuesday morning: Quiet but a little misty and foggy, with temperatures in the mid-20s for the Twin Cities metro.
• Tuesday afternoon, between noon-6 p.m.: Snow to wintry mix; 1-3 inches of accumulation possible. Snow will move in, and mixes with sleet into the evening. Expect a messy evening commute.
• Tuesday evening, 6 p.m. to midnight: Rainy mix to snow; about an inch of accumulation possible. Temperatures thaw, and we dance with the rain-snow line. The high by about 9 p.m. Tuesday will be around 34 degrees.
• Wednesday morning, between midnight and 9 a.m.: It'll be gusty as snow wraps up; about an inch of accumulation possible. Temperatures fall as cold winds gust to 45-plus mph.

Winter storm warning in effect

Weather alerts:

A winter storm warning is in effect for an area north of Interstate 94, which is where the highest snow totals are expected, with 5-plus inches of snow likely. 

Along and just south of I-94 is under a winter weather advisory, where there could be a snow, sleet, ice, rain combination. This could have an impact on travel, especially later Tuesday and early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, southern Minnesota is under a winter storm watch, which could see a light mix to mostly rain, but it'll be very windy, which could lead to a possible ground blizzard. 

How much snow is expected? 

By the numbers:

The winter storm warning area could see 4–7 inches of snow by Wednesday morning. However, south of Interstate 94 will see far less accumulation, with 1–4 inches of snow possible in the Twin Cities metro and in southern Minnesota about an inch of winter mix of snow, sleet, rain and ice is possible. 

Stay Sky Aware with the FOX 9 Weather App. Whether you are staying in one place or traveling, have your GPS locator on and your notifications turned on. If you drive into a warning, you will get an alert specific to where you are.

Full list of school closings

Local perspective:

Ahead of the snow, some Minnesota school districts have announced early dismissals to avoid travel impacts from the winter weather.

Here is a full list of school closings:

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