Snow followed by bone-chilling cold is January's way and this winter is following suit.
Monday, Jan. 21, the afternoon snowfall made for slick roads with at least one rollover crash reported near Brainerd. The snowfall produced a reminder from the Minnesota State Patrol to turn on vehicle head- and tail lights and stay off cruise control.
A 19-year-old Brainerd man was injured after he was trapped in a vehicle about 2:40 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, on Highway 371, just south of Brainerd.
According to a report by the Minnesota State Patrol, Kristopher William Anderson was driving a 1999 Ford pickup truck north on Highway 371 when he lost control of the truck and rolled over. Roads were reportedly snow- and ice-covered at the time.
The Brainerd Fire Department freed Anderson from the truck and he was transported to Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Anderson wore a seat belt, according to the state patrol. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene.
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The Brainerd lakes area was initially on track to get 6-8 inches of snow with this two-day storm starting Monday, but the National Weather Service in Duluth reported the heavier snow was tracking north with 6-8 inches possible from Walker-along with northern Cass County and the northernmost parts of Crow Wing and Aitkin counties-east to the North Shore.
Widespread snow totals of 3-8 inches were expected through Wednesday morning.
Heavy snowfall may still be arriving Tuesday morning, but expectations are for it to taper off by the afternoon. The heaviest snowfall was anticipated between midnight Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday, the National Weather Service reported.
Total snowfall in most of southern Cass County and the majority of Crow Wing, Aitkin and Wadena counties may reach 4-6 inches with points south-Morrison and Mille Lacs counties may receive 3-4. But that is all subject to changing weather conditions. The large flakes arriving with the beginning of the snowfall Monday afternoon were down to small, barely perceptible flakes before the light snow ended.
As of 5 p.m. Monday, 2 inches of snow was reported in Brainerd.
The lakes area dropped to about 24 degrees below zero with a wind chill of 39 below Monday morning, according to temperatures recorded at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport.
The temperature rose to 10 degrees in Brainerd just before 4 p.m. Monday. Babbitt posted an air temperature of 42 below Monday morning and the Ely airport had a wind chill of 55 below. With more snow anticipated overnight into Tuesday, Crow Wing County reported its plows would begin plowing and applying sand to intersections at 3 a.m. Tuesday.
"Continued snowfall throughout the morning will leave roads covered and slippery," the county reported in a news release. "Snowplows will not be able to keep up with the snowfall until late morning. Please give yourself extra time to get to your destination and please give the plows room to work."
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In a Monday afternoon weather update, the National Weather Service in Duluth, which is continuing to operate during the government shutdown to provide forecasts and weather warnings, reported the snowfall is expected to cause difficult driving conditions through Tuesday morning. On the low end, the Brainerd area was expected to receive 2 inches with 4 inches expected on the high end for this storm. Snowfall should end in the lakes area about 2 p.m. Tuesday with snow continuing until 6 p.m. in Hinckley, Duluth and along the North Shore.
Those shoveling and snowblowing what does fall may want to get at it early. The weather service noted extremely cold air is expected to arrive again Thursday night. According to forecasts, overnight low temperatures may be 20 below zero with daytime highs below zero or in the single digits above, and wind chills could reach 40 below zero.
