All westbound lanes of Interstate 94 have reopened in Woodbury after a crash involving a semitrailer truck and snowplow had them blocked for several hours early Thursday.

The lanes reopened just after 6 a.m.

No one was hurt in the crash, which occurred about 1:35 a.m. near the interchange of I-94 and County Road 19, a dispatcher for the Minnesota Department of Transportation's Regional Transportation Management Center said.

Drivers were directed up the off-ramps at Woodbury Drive, also known as County Road 19, and back onto the freeway using the on-ramp while the lanes were blocked, MnDOT said.

Roads across the east metro are snow-covered as a light band of precipitation was moving through the area. MnDOT was also reporting a dozen wrecks across the metro area at 6:15 a.m.

"We can expect more of the same," the MnDOT dispatcher said.

Travel conditions could deteriorate throughout the morning as heavier snow moves in and winds pick up, the National Weather Service said,

Between 2 and 4 inches of snow is expected to fall across southern and eastern Minnesota Thursday, with 4 to 6 inches possible in western Wisconsin. The area is under winter weather advisory until midnight, the weather service said.

Snow will end during the midday hours but hazards will persist for several hours due to northwest winds gusting between 30 and 40 mph., the weather service said.

"Patchy blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility," the weather service advised.

A strong cold front will bring the season's first prolonged bout with subzero temperatures and dangerously low windchills. The coldest air is expected Saturday night through Tuesday when windchill values will drop below minus 30 degrees in the Twin Cities. The Arctic air is expected to be in place through most of next week, the weather service said.

Tim Harlow • 612-673-7768