As much as 9 inches of new snow has fallen over the region, leaving weary residents shoveling out once again or stranded in highway ditches as slick highways slow travel throughout southeast Minnesota.

Friday, December 29, 2000

As much as 9 inches of new snow has fallen over the region, leaving weary residents shoveling out once again or stranded in highway ditches as slick highways slow travel throughout southeast Minnesota.

It may not be done snowing, either. According to KIMT’s StormTeam 3, flurries are expected Sunday. In addition, winds throughout today and into tonight may cause drifting of snow, especially in rural areas.

The official tally at KAUS south of Austin was 7 inches of snow. There was as much as 9 inches of snow recorded in other areas of Mower County.

In Albert Lea, 7.75 inches of snow was logged at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.

Prior to Thursday’s snowstorm, the Austin area already had logged nearly 29 inches of snow for the season. According to KAUS, Austin has received 32.5 inches of snow in December and 35.75 inches for the season, a half-inch short of all the snow received last winter.

At the peak of the storm, snow was falling at a rate of an inch per hour. Several accidents were reported along Interstate 90 in Mower County as a result of the slick roadway. The Minnesota State Patrol advised motorists to exercise caution if travel was necessary. Advisories from the National Weather Service office in LaCrosse, Wis., advised that travel was extremely treacherous Thursday.

Austin enacted its snow emergency ordinance at 6 p.m. Thursday and it will remain in effect for 72 hours so that city streets can be cleared of snow. City plows were out clearing streets and the downtown business district throughout the night.

With the snow ordinance in effect, parking in the downtown and business areas of the city is prohibited between 1 and 8 a.m. Motorists should park only on the odd side of the street until 8 a.m. Saturday, when parking will be allowed on the even side of the street.

The bad weather caused some problems at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, too. Northwest Airlines had canceled 62 flights out of the airport as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday and said 104 other outbound flights had been delayed an average of 35 minutes because of the weather.

Need to travel this weekend? Check these official phone numbers for highway conditions in nearby areas:

In Iowa: (800) 288-1047; outside Iowa: (515) 288-1047

Minnesota: (800) 542-0220

Wisconsin: (800) 762-3947