Worst ice storm in 29 years

Icy roads lead to hundreds of accidents in metro area

Excerpts:

Mark Fischbach of MnDOT told KSTP this morning that the rain is causing potentially the worst ice storm that he's seen in his 29 years with the department.

The treacherous conditions left bridges and hills largely impassable, Hennepin County sheriff's dispatch reported. About 40 cars were off the curvy stretch of road at Hwy. 7 and County Road 44 in Minnetrista, and about 20 cars were stopped at Medicine Lake Road and Hwy. 169 on the Plymouth-New Hope border, a dispatcher said.

Icy conditions also led to the closure of southbound Hwy. 169 at Rockford Road in the same area.

In the Minnetonka area, side roads were glare ice Sunday morning and cars were unable to get up even slight hills. Some main roads were icy but navigable at very slow speeds.

At 6:30 a.m., Interstate Hwy. 494 in Minnetonka and I-394 into downtown Minneapolis were more wet than icy, but bridge decks were slick. Most traffic was moving at about 40 mph.

At the curvy stretch where 394 enters downtown, a tow truck at 7 a.m. Sunday was removing several cars that had been in accidents.

Motorists leaving traveling southbound on 35W late Saturday and early Sunday morning reported hours-long travel times and glare ice at the new junction with the Crosstown.

Comment: We just made the decision to stay in this morning (I called our class coordinator and our discipleship Pastor). Our street and driveway glazed over.