Driving conditions improving

Driving conditions

 are improving in southeastern Minnesota but motorists are being advised that there are still stretches of roadway that are affected by drifting and compacted snow. There were hundreds of traffic wrecks and mishaps across the region over the weekend but no serious injuries were reported. Strong winds created whiteout conditions that continued into last night and early this morning, leading to the closing of numerous roads, including I-90 from Albert Lea to the South Dakota border. It re-opened around 8 this morning.

The Mayo Clinic helipad at St. Mary’s hospital recorded a wind gust of 60 miles per hour yesterday. The city airport clocked a 58 mile per hour gust. Yesterday’s snowfall at the airport was 1.3 inches.

A wind chill warning is in effect through noon tomorrow because of bitterly cold temperatures and strong winds. Temperatures will remain well below normal this entire week and into the coming weekend.