'Spinout Zone': Edina, SLP See Miserable, 16-Crash Commute Wednesday

EDINA, Minn.—A dusting of fresh snow and subzero temperatures made for a perilous commute Wednesday morning along Highway 100, with cars spinning out, rolling over and colliding with semi trucks. 

The Minnesota State Patrol counted 16 total crashes between 5:32 a.m. and 9:58 a.m that resulted in damage to vehicles on Highway 100 in Edina and St. Louis Park. The patrol recorded no injuries requiring medical treatment.

“It appears to be due to the weather and people driving too fast, following too close,” said Sgt. Jackie Sticha of the state patrol. “You just had a spinout zone on 100 [this morning].”

A wind chill warning will be in effect in Hennepin County from 6 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday as the wind chill drops to as low as 40 under zero:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN HAS ISSUED A WIND CHILL WARNING... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON CST THURSDAY. THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* TIMING: BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES WILL ARRIVE THIS EVENING WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS OVERNIGHT.

* WIND CHILL VALUES: 35 TO 40 BELOW ZERO.

* WIND CHILL IMPACTS: EXPOSED SKIN MAY FREEZE IN AS LITTLE AS 5 TO 10 MINUTES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL WARNING MEANS THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS WILL CREATE DANGEROUSLY LOW WIND CHILL VALUES. THIS WILL RESULT IN FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA OR DEATH IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

More Information

... BLOWING SNOW CAUSING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ACROSS WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TODAY... ... DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS MAKE A RETURN TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...

.A BLIZZARD WARNING CONTINUES FOR MUCH OF WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA TODAY. THE WARNING IS ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ALEXANDRIA TO WILLMAR TO MANKATO AND BLUE EARTH. NORTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 40 MPH COUPLED WITH THE FLUFFY SNOW THAT FELL ON TUESDAY WILL LEAD TO WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW AND NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY.

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN MINNESOTA AS WELL AS ALONG THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THESE AREAS ALONG WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS FROM TIME TO TIME.

THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A WIND CHILL WARNING FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND PORTIONS OF WESTERN WISCONSIN FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS WILL RANGE FROM 35 BELOW TO 43 BELOW ZERO IN THESE AREAS. THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY CONTINUES TOWARD CENTRAL WISCONSIN WHERE WIND CHILLS WILL RANGE FROM 25 TO 34 BELOW.