The Minnesota Department of Transportation announced the opening of southbound I-35 out of Owatonna at 1:30 am Tuesday. Northbound lanes from Albert Lea and the freeway south of Albert Lea reopened around 4:30 pm Monday. Twitter posts showed MnDOT plows crews working in the dark to clear snow from the roadway.

Eastbound I-90 between Highway 52 and Albert Lea reopened around 10 pm Monday. I-90 west of Albert Lea reopened Monday afternoon.

The Minnesota State Patrol Facebook page reported that more than 600 people had to be rescued from their vehicles since the storm began on Saturday, more than 200 of them in Steele County. The National Guard Armory in Owatonna had more than 150 people staying there at one time. A church in Owatonna also opened to give stranded motorists a safe place to stay.

The state patrol reported that 150 vehicles were off the roads in Blue Earth County and that several people had to be rescued from stranded trains in Freeborn County.

The KRFO app has a direct link to the MnDOT live road condition map.

Source (from original 2:30 posting with I-35 still closed): Minnesota Department of Transportation news release.

 

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