Local schools closed for Tuesday, February 2 already on Monday night, February 1 in anticipation of the approaching blizzard predicted for the following day. And, although promises of a snowstorm did not become reality until later in the morning on Tuesday, the snow – backed by powerful wind blasts – still dealt residents in southwest and southcentral Minnesota a full house wallop. A blizzard warning was in effect for the area from 3 a.m. Tuesday until 4 a.m. on Wednesday, February 3.
By Tuesday noon, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) was advising no travel in Blue Earth, Brown (southern portion), Cottonwood, Faribault, Jackson, Martin, Nobles, Rock, Watonwan and Waseca counties. And by 2 p.m., it had closed all state highways south of Highway #14, including Interstate 90 (I-90).
While schools were already closed, businesses throughout southwest Minnesota either closed their doors early – or didn’t open up for the day at all.
Come Wednesday morning, Minnesotans from the area were digging out from under 8 to 12 inches of snow that fell from Tuesday morning until the wee hours of Wednesday. It was the high winds, though, that pushed the snowstorm (Winter Storm Kayla) into a blizzard. Wind gusts were recorded as high as 38 miles per hour (mph), with sustained winds of 25- 31 mph. Those wind speeds whipped the accumulating snow into a frenzy and created zero visibility at times
Schools in the area began their approach to Wednesday with two-hour-late starts on Tuesday night, but by Wednesday morning, were closed for the day as winds lingered and roads remain blocked by snowdrifts.
At around 9 a.m. on Wednesday, MnDOT announced that I-90 and southern Minnesota highways had reopened. However, they remained snow-covered and slippery.
Fortunately, no Arctic blast followed the blizzard and temperatures could be in the low-30s by the weekend.
