Storm socks Duluth, crashes mount as snow piles up in Twin Cities area

Back-to-back winter storms that battered a large swath of Minnesota for two days have left thousands digging out from a foot or more of snow, particularly in Duluth where more than 17 inches of snow had piled up Monday on Park Point and just south of downtown.

The northern Minnesota city and towns along the North Shore were bracing for another 5 to 7 inches of snow Tuesday before the twin storms were set to wind down by early Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

The Twin Cities escaped Monday's blast but were not as lucky Tuesday as about 4.9 inches of snow had fallen by 6 p.m. at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, the National Weather Service said.

Minneapolis and St. Paul called snow emergencies Tuesday, as did others including Crystal, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, New Hope, Plymouth, Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park.

Gusty winds that accompanied the fluffy snow reduced visibility and at times created whiteout conditions. Roads deteriorated rapidly statewide Tuesday afternoon as a heavy band of snow moved through the state and led to scores of crashes and spinouts. Between 5 and 10 a.m., the State Patrol responded to 79 crashes and 36 spinouts.

A portion of Hwy. 10 through Anoka was shut down for several hours Tuesday afternoon as a multivehicle crash blocked the eastbound lanes at 7th Avenue. A wreck involving three semitrailer trucks and two cars shut down the northbound lanes of Interstate 35 near the Northfield exit for several hours, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said. In North Dakota, portions of I-29 and I-94 near Fargo also were closed.

The poor conditions prompted the Minnesota Safety Council to launch its "Don't Crowd the Plow" campaign on Tuesday to remind motorists to remain 10 car lengths behind plows. In the first few months of winter, 71 plows have been involved in crashes, said Anne Meyer of the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

In Duluth, the copious dumping prompted city officials to declare a snow emergency for only the second time in the city's history. The first was declared in late December when a mere 8 inches fell a few days after Christmas.

The winter storm gave some students an unexpected day off school, but others such as those attending St. Paul Public Schools were put on distance learning for the day.

Metro Mobility, the door-to-door service for people with disabilities, warned riders of possible delays Tuesday and asked them to consider rescheduling their rides.

Duluth neighborhoods bordering Lake Superior led the way with 17 inches as of Tuesday afternoon. Other readings as of 3 p.m. Tuesday included 13 inches in the west central Minnesota town of Wendell, 12.8 inches in Browns Valley on the South Dakota border, 12.5 inches in Breckenridge on the Minnesota-North Dakota border, and 11.3 inches near Fort Ripley. Readings of 7 to 10 inches were common across west-central, central and north-central Minnesota, and along the North Shore.