Life-Threatening Conditions Close I-90 West of Albert Lea

Albert Lea, MN (KROC-AM News)- The blizzard conditions blanketing southern Minnesota have led to the closure of I-90 west of I-35 in Albert Lea.

Get our free mobile app

A MnDOT news release says the closure is due to poor visibility being caused by blowing snow. Most of the state highways in south central and southwest Minnesota have also been closed.

Officials describe the combination of blowing snow and dangerously cold wind chills as “life-threatening conditions” for stranded travelers. The same region of the state experiencing the road closures is also in a Wind Chill Warning with wind chill values predicted to fall as low as -45.

Wednesday night’s snowfall was followed by strong winds that started blowing the freshly fallen snow across southern Minnesota highways Thursday morning. The freeway east of Albert Lea remains open, however MnDOT reports visibility in beginning to dissipate between the Austin and Stewartville exits.

A Blizzard Warning remains in effect for southern Minnesota until 6 a.m. on Saturday. Real-time-road conditions are available in the KROC News App.

Whiteout Conditions Likely in SE Minnesota Through Friday Night

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.