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Weather and Climate News
Andrew Krueger
Updated:

April snowstorm leads to icy roads, power outages, school closings across Minnesota

An aerial view of snow-covered streets
Snow covers State Highway 61 in Two Harbors on Wednesday. A blizzard warning was in effect for the North Shore at the time.
Minnesota Department of Transportation

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April arrived with a blast of winter weather for Minnesota — with snow forecast to continue through Wednesday night across central and northern Minnesota.

A blizzard warning was in effect for the North Shore — including Two Harbors, Silver Bay and Grand Marais — through 10 p.m. Wednesday. The National Weather Service said whiteout conditions were possible along State Highway 61.

Winter storm warnings covered much of the rest of northern and central Minnesota. The Duluth Transit Authority said it was canceling all bus service in Duluth after 6 p.m. Wednesday due to poor road conditions.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported icy roads across most of central and northern Minnesota on Wednesday — with numerous crashes and spinouts in the northern Twin Cities metro area and points north and west.

Snow mixed in with rain across southern Minnesota, too.

Utility companies were reporting scattered power outages affecting several hundred homes and businesses across Minnesota.

The messy mix of precipitation and icy roads caused dozens of school districts across the state to cancel classes or move to online learning days for Wednesday.

Widespread snow totals of more than a half-foot are expected from Moorhead and Alexandria east to Bemidji, Brainerd and the Iron Range by Wednesday night. Parts of the North Shore may see snowfall in excess of a foot.

Unlike storms earlier in the season that produced light powder, this round of winter weather is bringing slushy, cement-like snow to the region. That makes it a lot harder to move — and creates more of a risk for heart attacks and back injuries.

If you need to clear a driveway or sidewalk — stay hydrated, limit how much snow you lift each time, and take plenty of breaks.

Find forecast updates on MPR Weather’s Updraft blog.

School delays, closings for Wednesday, April 2

Closed

  • Alexandria

  • Brainerd

  • Brandon-Evansville

  • Central Lakes College — Brainerd and Staples campuses

  • Clearbrook-Gonvick

  • Cloquet

  • College of St. Scholastica

  • Cook County

  • Discovery Woods - Brainerd

  • Esko

  • Fergus Falls

  • Floodwood

  • Fond du Lac Ojibwe

  • Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College

  • Hancock

  • Hermantown

  • International Falls

  • Lake Superior College

  • McGregor

  • Menahga

  • Minnesota State Community and Technical College — Moorhead, Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Wadena campuses are closed; online classes will be held

  • Minnewaska Area

  • Nevis

  • Osakis

  • Pelican Rapids

  • Pillager

  • Pine River-Backus

  • Proctor

  • Red Lake

  • Superior, Wis.

  • Verndale

  • Wadena-Deer Creek

E-learning day

  • Aitkin

  • Ashby

  • Bagley

  • Barnum

  • Battle Lake

  • Bemidji

  • Benson

  • Blackduck

  • Breckenridge

  • Carlton

  • Cass Lake-Bena

  • Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley

  • Cromwell-Wright

  • Crosslake Community

  • Detroit Lakes

  • E.C.H.O Charter

  • Fosston

  • Frazee-Vergas

  • Henning

  • Lake Park Audubon

  • Laporte

  • Little Falls

  • Littlefork-Big Falls

  • Long Prairie-Grey Eagle

  • Mahnomen

  • Morris Area

  • Nett Lake

  • New York Mills

  • Norman County East

  • Park Rapids

  • Parkers Prairie

  • Perham

  • Royalton

  • Sauk Centre

  • Sebeka

  • Staples-Motley

  • Swanville

  • Ulen-Hitterdal

  • Underwood

  • University of Wisconsin-Superior

  • Wahpeton, N.D.

  • Walker Hackensack Akeley

  • Waubun-Ogema-White Earth

  • West Central Area

  • Wheaton Area

  • Willow River

Late start

  • Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa — two-hour delay

  • Browns Valley — starting at 10 a.m.

  • Central Minnesota Christian - Prinsburg — two-hour delay

  • Litchfield — two-hour delay

  • Mid-State Education District — two-hour delay

  • New London-Spicer — two-hour delay

  • Onamia — two-hour delay

  • Pequot Lakes — two-hour delay

This list will be updated as additional closings and delays are reported.

Forecast updates

Travel conditions

These state transportation departments offer live updates on road conditions and crashes:

For bus and light rail riders in the Twin Cities, Metro Transit offers weather-related updates on its Metro Transit and Metro Transit Alerts Twitter pages and on its website.

Flight updates

If you’re planning to fly from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport or another airport around the region — or if you are expecting visitors to arrive by plane — airports offer flight status updates online: