Update: Mother Nature delivers a one-two punch in Minnesota

MnDOT crews will work through evening, night on roads

Minnesota Department of Transportation maintenance operations engineer Mike Kamnikar said the morning Twin Cities area commute was difficult because heavy traffic kept trucks from clearing the snow most efficiently. A letup in the snow and traffic have helped MnDOT catch up.

"I just talked to Maple Grove truck station," he said "They've got 10 inches up there, but they're doing very well removing the snow from the highways, versus the southern area of the Metro, very little snow. So we're treating that a little different. But we have equipment and material out there, doing its job."

Kamnikar says the evening commute will slow road equipment again, but that MnDOT is planning to bring in more crews about 7 p.m. to work on the roads during the evening hours as the temperature falls and the roads get more slippery.

More from MSP

The number of flights to and from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that have been canceled because of today's storm has grown to 175.

"If you're going to be traveling, check with your airline before you even come to the airport," MSP spokesman Patrick Hogan said. "There are going to be a number of flights that are impacted, not only because of weather here, but you could have weather elsewhere that impacts flights as well. Check before you come, just to be safe."

Conditions at the airport, Hogan said, are still slick.

-- Jon Collins, MPR News

Cold blast to follow storm

Winter is coming in with a bang this year. The south metro will see 4-6 inches of snow accumulation. The north metro is expected to get accumulations of 6 to 14 and northwest Wisconsin could see at much at 18 from this system.

Areas south of the Twin Cities will see little to no snow.

The snow that sticks around won't be going anywhere soon. An arctic air mass is pushing this system through. That cold air mass is likely to linger through next weekend.

-- Paul Huttner, MPR News

If you think this feels a little early, you're right

Andy Lahr of the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen said: "This should be the most significant fall storm since Halloween in 1991."

St. Cloud State meteorologist Bob Weisman said: "In St. Cloud this will likely be the biggest November snowfall in 11 years." (St Cloud Times)