GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — A strong and evolving spring storm made for an interesting Sunday, starting out with light snow worthy of a postcard, picking up with heavier flakes carrying additional moisture, and by Monday morning changing over to steady rain.
Whew.
The totals from Sunday into Monday are impressive, but compaction has reduced the way it measures on your back deck and more importantly, on your driveway.
And we're not done. The system will hang around through Tuesday, in the form of rain and potential thunderstorms in the southern part of the state, and up to five more inches of snow north of Elk River, Cambridge and Forest Lake.
Here are a few of the storm impacts that continue into a new week.
Crashes
Between midnight and 9:30 p.m. Sunday, state troopers responded to 396 crashes (22 with injury, 1 fatal) with an additional 339 vehicles that spun out or left the road. Trooper say 14 semis jackknifed during the height of the storm.
Flights
MSP International threw everything it had at the spring storm, and the numbers show it. As of 6:30 a.m., the airport's flight tracker showed 40 flights canceled and 9 delayed, likely due to weather here and elsewhere across the country. The board showed 836 on time. With snow switching over to rain and temperatures above 32 degrees all day, operations should be back to normal quickly despite the record 8.2 inches of snow measured at the airport yesterday.
Power
Heavy snow can impact power lines, and Xcel Energy crews were fairly busy overnight. At one point, more than 1,400 customers were without electricity, but by 6:30 a.m., that number was down to 730, caused by 42 separate outages.
Shoveling
If you got a good head start yesterday, the snow blower was an option. This morning, the heavy slop has compacted into a dense layer that feels like concrete (and is about as heavy). Many snow blowers will gum up trying to toss snow like this, meaning more people will be shoveling.
That prompts a warning on a number of levels. First, the weight of this snowfall risks the possibility of throwing out your back unless proper form is used. You've heard it before, but use your legs to lift and toss and don't let your back bear the brunt of it.
Also, slow down! If you are not in tip-top shape or have underlying health issues, this is taxing work, and can elevate the risk of a heart event. Push and throw one shovel swath, and then take a breather.
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