MnDOT warns motorists of white-out conditions along Highway 371 near Hole-in-the-Day Bay

High winds carry fresh snow across Hole-in-the-Day Bay on Gull Lake in a file photo, creating nearly white-out conditions on the lake northwest of Brainerd.

By Dispatch staff report

April 05, 2023 at 4:28 PM

BAXTER — The Minnesota Department of Transportation warns motorists traveling on Highway 371 near Hole-in-the-Day Bay, north of Brainerd, of white-out conditions and reduced visibility.

“We’ve begun to experience some drifting and visibility issues near Hole-in-Day Bay. Drivers are caught off-guard because conditions on other segments of the highway are near-normal. Then, sporadic wind gusts blow snow across Gull Lake creating blinding conditions. We ask motorists to slow down and drive with caution,” said MnDOT Assistant District 3 Engineer for Maintenance Jamie Hukriede in a news release Wednesday, April 5.

Strong winds, blowing and drifting snow, and whiteout conditions are expected to continue into the evening. MnDOT has placed advanced warning message boards along Highway 371 and will continue to monitor the situation.

MnDOT snowplow operators will do their part to make highways safe and motorists should remember to:

Stay alert for snowplows, which turn or exit frequently and often with little warning
Stay back at least 10 car lengths behind the plow. Don’t drive into a snow cloud.
Slow down to a safe speed for current conditions.
Turn on your headlights and wear your seat belt.
Turn off the cruise control.
Be patient and remember snowplows are working to improve road conditions for your trip.
Don’t drive distracted.

For additional tips on safe winter driving, go to www.mndot.gov/workzone/winter.html.

For real-time traffic and travel information in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or get the free smartphone app at Google Play or the App Store .

By Dispatch staff report

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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MnDOT warns motorists of white-out conditions along Highway 371 near Hole-in-the-Day Bay

Strong winds, blowing and drifting snow, and whiteout conditions are expected to continue into the evening Wednesday, April 5, 2023.