I 90 Closed Again Today For Blowing Snow

In a event that has happen a couple of times this year, I 90 was closed for a while again today do to driving and blowing snow. This was after the Minnesota State Patrol issued a no-travel advisory. Interstate 29 was also closed in both directions from Sioux City to the Missouri Valley, Iowa. It seems amazing, but hopefully we will get through it.

At the same time, WCCO was reporting that there were 23 rollover incidents in the metro area today. That seems like another amazing issue today. Clearly, there are a number of people that are driving too fast for conditions.

The Department of Public Safety and the Minnesota Department of Transportation DPS recommend the following for safe winter driving:

• Always use seat belts.

• Adjust speed to road and weather conditions — lower speeds minimize crashes.

• Keep a safe stopping distance between vehicles, and leave extra room between your vehicle and snow plows or other removal equipment.

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly on icy/snow-covered roads to retrain traction and avoid skids.

• Do not use cruise-control.

• Do not “power up” hills which may cause wheels to spin. Build momentum before reaching a hill and don’t stop while traveling uphill. Reduce speed going downhill.

• Know your brakes — keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of the foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.

• Give yourself plenty of travel time — don’t put your schedule before safety.

• Clear snow and ice from vehicle windows, hood, headlights, brake lights and directional signals.

• Headlights must be turned on when it is snowing or sleeting.

For weather-related road information, call 5-1-1 or visit www.511mn.org.

For winter driving tips and more winter safety information visit http://www.winterweather.state.mn.us/WHAH_Home.asp.