Good morning, commuters!

With public schools ordered closed by Gov. Mark Dayton and many companies allowing employees to work at home today due to the bitter cold, traffic levels could be lighter than normal for a typical Monday.

For those who have to hit the roads, black ice is a definite possibility with temperatures in the minus 20 degree range across the Twin Cities. So use caution.

It's another day where the gate arms on the eastbound lanes of the 394 HOT lane are not working. They are stuck in the down position at the entrance just west of Hwy. 100 like they were on Friday. Drivers will need to use the general lanes from Hwy. 100 to I-94, or exit to Hwy. 100 and then access the carpool lanes from Hwy. 100.

A couple crashes already at this hour. The first is on westbound 494 at Hwy. 52 where a couple lanes are blocked. We also have the right lane blocked on southbound 35W at Lake Street. Word is that a light pole is down.

I will be keeping an eye on the roads and rails this morning, reporting any delays or issues — and I will need your help.

If you see or hear about any congestion, delays or problems, e-mail drive@startribune or tweet @stribdrive.