/usr/web/www.marshallindependent.com/wp-content/themes/coreV2/single.php
×

More snow forecast for region

Winter conditions affect travel; 3-vehicle crash reported near Cottonwood

MARSHALL — Just when the roads in southwest Minnesota are mostly cleared of snow after Friday’s winter storm, motorists and residents will need to brace for more snow today.

The National Weather Service is forecasting rain that will eventually turn into snow by the afternoon. The falling precipitation was expected to start Sunday evening with snow and sleet. That freezing rain is expected to continue early this morning. The chance of precipitation is set at 70 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch is possible. New snow accumulation of around an inch is possible.

That forecast will probably lead to another day of treacherous driving conditions. The Minnesota Department of Transportation on Saturday had just lifted the no travel advisory on Highway 14 from Florence to Tracy. Now it looks more travel advisories could follow today.

Today’s forecast also calls for patchy blowing snow after 8 a.m. The National Weather Service’s forecast calls for cloudy skies, with a temperature falling to around 5 by 5 p.m. The wind chill to fall as low as -18. And blustery conditions, with a north northwest wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

On Friday, southwest Minnesota was hit with 4 to 12 inches of snow, depending on the location. Even after the snow died down, slippery surfaces, frigid temperatures and high wind gusts all made it difficult to get around. A three-vehicle crash on Minnesota Highway 23 injured 10 people on Saturday evening, the Minnesota State Patrol reported.

The crash was reported around 5:11 p.m. Saturday, near Cottonwood. A 2005 Ford Expedition driven by Apolinaria Alejandra Velasco, 34, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, lost control in snowy and icy conditions, the State Patrol said. The Expedition crossed into the oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a northbound Chevrolet Suburban driven by Michael Newton, 62, of Marshall. A third vehicle, a northbound Chevy Malibu driven by Mariah Zwart, 19, of Granite Falls, struck the Suburban on its passenger side.

All three drivers, as well as a total of seven passengers in the vehicles, received non life-threatening injuries, the State Patrol said. There were six passengers in the Expedition, including three teens and a 3-year-old girl, the State Patrol said.

All 10 injured people were transported to Avera Marshall Medical Center, the State Patrol said. The Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, Cottonwood Fire Department and First Responders, Granite Falls Ambulance and North Memorial Ambulance all responded at the crash scene.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.38/week.

Subscribe Today