The first measurable snowfall of the season blanketed the Twin Cities on Thursday, adding a wintry feel to the Thanksgiving holiday and making for slippery roads in some areas.
As of 9 p.m. Thursday, the Minnesota State Patrol had reported 133 crashes across the state, including one that was fatal, 31 that resulted in injuries, 21 rollovers and 64 that involved vehicles spinning out and leaving the road. Most of the crashes occurred in the southern part of the state.
However, the State Patrol said the weather was not a factor in a crash about 10 a.m., when three vehicles were involved in a fatal collision on Hwy. 52 north of Chatfield, just south of Rochester.
The State Patrol gave this account of the crash:
A 2005 Honda Civic headed north on Hwy. 52 crossed the centerline several times before colliding with a southbound GMC Acadia. A northbound Toyota Camry swerved to avoid the crash, went into the ditch and rolled.
One person in the crash died. Two others were injured, according to the State Patrol, which closed roads for several hours while investigating the crash.
Most of the snowfall came in the southern third of the state and ended by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Chanhassen. The heaviest total reported fell in Burnsville, with 1.9 inches.
It marked the Twin Cities' first measurable snowfall of the year. It's the seventh-latest snowfall on record, according to the National Weather Service.
