Winter returned Monday with heavy snow, rain and freezing drizzle over much of southern Minnesota.
Mankato got hit the hardest with 10 to 11 inches of snow, according to Lisa Schmit, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Albert Lea was in the range of 8 to 9 inches and the Twin Cities area was getting 2 to 5.
The slush and snow caused havoc on the roads into Monday evening.
The State Patrol reported 134 spinouts, 11 jackknifed semitrailer trucks and 151 crashes during the day.
In the Rochester area, the patrol reported 61 vehicles off the road, two crashes with injuries and 12 jackknifed semitrailer trucks in the same time frame. The Mankato area had about 20 vehicles off the road and one crash with an injury.
A March winter storm isn't uncommon but may have caught folks off guard because of recent 60-degree weather, Schmit said.
"The good thing about a late season winter storm is the snow will not stick around for very long," she said, adding temperatures will be near 60 degrees by the weekend.
Even though Monday's storm was late in the season, it may not be the last.
"It doesn't mean we won't see late-season winter storms in late March or into April," she added.
Alex Chhith • 612-673-4759
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