Commuters should have an easier time getting to work or school Thursday, at least compared to what happened yesterday.
On Wednesday, a light dusting of snow turned roads into ice rinks and in turn led to a spate of crashes and excruciatingly long drives.
Between 5 and 10:30 a.m., the State Patrol responded to 115 wrecks in the metro area, said Lt. Tiffani Nielson. The crashes led to 15 injuries. Another 32 vehicles slid off the roads.
One of the worst drives was on I-694 in the north metro. At the peak of Wednesday's morning rush, both directions of the freeway were jammed between the I-694/494 split in Maple Grove and I-35W in Arden Hills. At times, drivers needed more than an hour to get from Rogers to downtown Minneapolis.
Thursday morning should be much better but do watch out for some murky conditions. The trip home, however, may be filled with some headaches.
A patch of light snow is expected to move across southern Minnesota and the Twin Cities between 4 and 6 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
Snowfall totals should be less than an inch, the weather service said.
After highs in the low 20s Thursday and Friday, the mercury should push 30 both Saturday and Sunday, the weather service said.
