WeatherFanatics: Accidents Clog Midwest Roads, Kill Three as First Snowstorm of Season Pounds Area

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Accidents Clog Midwest Roads, Kill Three as First Snowstorm of Season Pounds Area

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

November 11,2014; 8:00PM,EST

Snow piled up early for residents in the Midwest and High Plains early in the week as a blast of arctic air brought chilling, blustery and icy conditions.
Roadways became slick and coated with snow and ice forcing motorists off roads amid harsh driving conditions. Minnesota received some of the highest snow totals and overall widespread snow coverage.
St. Cloud, Minnesota, shattered the old daily snowfall record of 4.3 inches set in 1946 as 13.2 inches fell on Monday. Up to 17.8 inches of snow fell in Mellen, Wisconsin, roughly 90 miles from Duluth, Minnesota.

On Monday, Nov. 10, Minnesota State Police responded to 475 crashes statewide and over 700 vehicles that spun out of control and off roadways.
One motorist died after sliding out of control on Highway 68 in Blue Earth County on Monday according to state police. Two died in a crash in Rice County just before 6 a.m. CST Tuesday when the driver lost control, crossing over the center of the road and hitting another car according to the state patrol.
Additionally, the dangerous conditions slowed commutes and travel across portions of Wisconsin and Michigan. Air travel was significantly impacted as inbound flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport faced delays of up to six hours on Monday morning.
The stalled traffic prompted some airlines such as Delta and Southwest to issue travel waivers in order to reschedule certain flights at no additional cost. According to Flight Stats, nearly 300 flights were canceled as of Monday afternoon.
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AccuWeather Winter Weather Center
REPORTS: Hundreds of Accidents Occur Amid Midwest Snowstorm

Rough road conditions resulted in hundreds of vehicle crashes as motorists attempted to drive along slick, icy roadways. (Photo/Northwestern Minnesota State Patrol PIO Sgt. Jesse Grabow)

Areas across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado received substantial snow as seen in this backyard in La Crosse, Wisconsin. (Photo/jlhawkinson)

Roads, like this highway in Minnesota, were coated with ice throughout the Midwest. (Photo/Northwestern Minnesota State Patrol PIO Sgt. Jesse Grabow)

Drivers were urged by local enforcement to take caution when traveling as morning commutes were impacted by the intense snowfall in many areas. (Photo/Northwestern Minnesota State Patrol PIO Sgt. Jesse Grabow)