Photo by Deb Gau The weekend winter storm left Marshall residents with a lot of snow to shift. On Sunday afternoon, downtown businesses were busy clearing sidewalks, and a loader worked to move bucketfuls of snow away from the Schwan’s office building.

MARSHALL — December started out with a snowstorm this year, covering roads and canceling weekend events around the Marshall area. The National Weather Service reported area snowfall totals ranging from seven inches in Marshall, to as much as eight inches north of Currie. Social media posts reported snow depths of close to 6 inches in Minneota on Sunday morning, and three inches in Slayton.

Much of southwest Minnesota was either in a winter weather advisory or a winter storm warning Saturday and Sunday, as snow fell and gusting winds picked up.

Community events like Light Up the Night activities in Marshall on Saturday night, and several area church services on Sunday morning, were canceled or postponed due to weather.

While snowplows were out on the roads and highways over the weekend, driving conditions still weren’t ideal. Marshall Police reported two different property damage accidents within an hour at the intersection of Minnesota Highway 23 and U.S. Highway 59 on Saturday afternoon. Full reports on the crashes, reported at 3:59 and 4:29 p.m., were still pending on Sunday, Marshall Police said.

A Worthington woman was injured when her vehicle went into the ditch on U.S. Highway 59 south of Marshall around 3 p.m. Saturday. The Minnesota State Patrol reported a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country driven by Lisa Cochran, 48, went off the road near the intersection of Highway 59 and Lyon County Road 6. Cochran was taken to Avera Marshall Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries, the State Patrol said.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls is forecasting clearer, but cold conditions in the Marshall area the rest of this week. High temperatures are predicted to reach the mid-20s on Tuesday and Wednesday, with partly sunny skies.