Rochester, Mn (KROC-AM News) - It’s hoped this afternoon’s sunshine will improve travel conditions in southeastern Minnesota, but gusty winds could keep the roads slick.

The region did not see nearly as much snow as was predicted earlier in the week, but the rain that preceded the snow and the heavy slushing snow that did fall across southeastern Minnesota has left most of the state highways, as of noon, rated as completely covered by snow and ice. Strong west winds have also caused some problems with blowing snow.

The difficult travel conditions continue to result in vehicle spinouts and crashes this morning and into the early afternoon. The State Patrol is reported there were 173 weather-related crashes statewide yesterday between 9 AM and 9 PM. 18 of those crashes resulted in injuries. There were also 184 reports of vehicle spinouts and 10 jackknifed semi-truck.

At least four of the injury crashes were reported in southeastern Minnesota. The State Patrol says two men from New Jersey were transported to St. Marys Hospital following a crash on Highway 52 near Oronoco around 8 o’clock Saturday evening. They were in a truck that slid out of control into the median cable barrier.

A 30-year-old Hager City, Wisconsin woman was taken to a hospital in Northfield after her car left Highway 57 in Goodhue County and crashed into the snowbank in the west ditch around 2 PM. Around 11:30 in the morning, a car driven by 62-year-old Pamela Alstead rolled over in the median on I-35 in Freeborn County and she was transported to the Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. The other injured involved a passenger in a semi-truck that crashed into an unoccupied SUV along I-35 in Steele County shortly after 9 AM. Like all of the other injured parties, his injuries were described as non-life threatening.

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