Photo by Deb Gau Marshall Police and other area emergency responders faced a snowy scene after a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Minnesota Highway 23 and Highway 19 on Wednesday. Three people were injured when a Hyundai Elantra and a semi collided.

MARSHALL — Southwest Minnesota residents faced bitter cold, snow-covered roads and areas of low visibility on Wednesday.

The wintry weather closed schools, and led to accidents including a collision at Minnesota Highway 23 and Minnesota Highway 19 in Marshall. Three people, including a 2-year-old child, were injured in the crash, the Minnesota State Patrol said.

A blizzard warning will be in effect for much of the area, including Lyon County, until 6 p.m. Friday, the National Weather Service said. A total of 2 to 4 inches of snow was expected, with winds gusting as high as 45 mph. Wind chills as low as 50 degrees below zero were also anticipated.

The snow started falling more heavily in the Marshall area around midday, lowering visibility. The crash was reported at 11:38 a.m. A 2020 Hyundai Elantra driven by Isaiah Kenneth Werner, 23, of Granite Falls, was westbound on Highway 19, and a 2007 Peterbilt driven by Chad Eugene Gilbertson, 43, of Leota, was northbound on Highway 23 when the two vehicles collided.

Three passengers in the Hyundai, including 18-year-old Harley Rae Brown, of Marshall, 21-year-old Mataya Rose Paradis of Marshall and a 2-year-old boy, were transported to Avera Marshall Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries, the State Patrol said.

In addition to the State Patrol, the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, Marshall Police, the Marshall Fire Department and North Memorial Ambulance all reported at the crash scene.

The State Patrol reported four crashes in the Marshall region before noon Wednesday. An additional 10 vehicles ran off the road and required assistance Wednesday morning and there was one report of a jackknifed semi, said Sgt. Troy Christianson of the State Patrol.

Wednesday’s weather closed schools around the area and led to some area communities declaring snow emergencies. The city of Balaton declared a snow emergency and asked residents to remove all vehicles from the streets by 5 a.m. Thursday.

The city of Minneota announced plowing would begin in the city at 4 a.m. Thursday morning. Parking on the street would not be allowed until the snow emergency was canceled.

The city of Cottonwood also declared a snow emergency lasting from midnight Wednesday until noon on Saturday depending on weather conditions.

Redwood County announced it would be pulling its snowplows at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Plows would be back on the road Thursday morning, weather permitting, the county said.

The National Weather Service said the amount of snow anticipated in the region this week has trended downward. Lyon County is expected to have accumulations of 2 to 4 inches, while accumulations will range from 3 to 5 inches in Yellow Medicine and Redwood counties.

However, there is still a possibility of blowing snow and reduced visibility in the region Thursday and Friday, the NWS said. The extent of blowing snow will depend on how much new snow fell Wednesday, the NWS said.