Dozens of crashes attributed to snowstorm

Minnesota and Wisconsin saw the first significant snow storm of the season this week. And while it may have arrived later than most years, it certainly didn’t lack power.

Across much of the region, snow, rain and anything in between fell for most of Tuesday and Wednesday. The slushy, slippery precipitation left many roads treacherous.

In just five hours on Tuesday morning, the Minnesota State Patrol had received reports of 94 crashes, 202 vehicles off the road and three jackknifed semis. The majority of those incidents occurred in the metro area.

“Many of the crashes and spin-outs we’ve seen are the result of people driving too fast,” said Lt. Eric Roeske in a statement. “Motorists need to be aware of the conditions and adjust their speed accordingly.”

Goodhue County and Red Wing didn’t accumulate the more than a foot of snow some areas of the state saw, but road conditions were still difficult.

Red Wing Police received five accident calls Tuesday, all of which were weather-related, spokeswomen Janelle Ahern said. The Sheriff’s Office reported six vehicles in the ditch, three property damage accidents and two trees in the road.

Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Kris Weiss said dispatchers also received one report of power lines sparking, but deputies were unable to locate that.

The storm also caused hundreds of school closings and delays, state offices to close in Aitkin, Carlton, Lake, Pine and St. Louis counties and thousands of power outages in the metro area.

Sections of Ellsworth lost power. Northern Wisconsin had the deepest snow, upwards of 18 inches.

Tags: red wing, goodhue county, traffic, accidents, news