Star Tribune
Whiteout conditions expected as winter storm grips Minnesota
A winter storm battering Minnesota took a brief break Thursday morning after dumping a fresh coat of light fluffy snow. But even as the sun came out, the respite wasn’t expected to last long.
A prolonged period with strong winds will crank up by midday, dropping wind chill readings dangerously low and creating whiteout conditions that threaten to disrupt travel by ground and air for a second straight day.
“Don’t let your guard down,” the National Weather Service said. “Life-threatening conditions develop later today.”
A blizzard warning goes into effect Thursday afternoon in areas of Minnesota west of the Mississippi River while a winter storm warning covers areas east of the river, with both in place through Friday night, the Weather Service said.
“Several hours of whiteout conditions are expected this afternoon onward, even in metropolitan areas,” the Weather Service said. “Conditions worsen the second half of today, becoming extremely dangerous Friday through Saturday morning.”
Temperatures were expected to remain below zero all day in the Twin Cities and most of the state, the Weather Service said. Add in the winds and it will feel like anywhere from minus 30 to minus 45 degrees.
Winds gusting between 40 and 50 mph will create “many hours of whiteout conditions” and make travel “very difficult as roads drift shut.”
There was plenty of snow to blow around after 7.4 inches fell Wednesday at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport — the official recording spot for the Twin Cities. That set a new record for Dec. 21.
Other totals included 7.5 inches in White Bear Lake, 7.3 inches in Savage and Shakopee, 6.3 inches in Otsego, 6 inches in Fridley, 5.9 inches in Bloomington and 5 inches in Red Wing, the Weather Service said.
The snow combined with frigid conditions allowed the precipitation to freeze and compact on the pavement, making for a slippery and icy morning commute. At 9:15 a.m., roads in the metro were improving, but several crashes and spinouts littered metro area roads, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said.
“Slick spots may abound,” said MnDOT spokeswoman Anne Meyer. While the agency has 200 plows working in the Twin Cities and hundreds more across the state, “it takes longer” in the cold as chemicals don’t work as fast or well. “Crews are out there and we are doing what we can with what we have,” she said.
Overnight through 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the State Patrol responded to 47 crashes and 118 vehicles that had spun out or landed in ditches.
Thursday was to be one of the busiest travel days at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, with 33,000 passengers expected to pass through TSA checkpoints. Most flights left as scheduled, but by 9 a.m., 26 departing flights had been canceled and 21 were delayed, according to the flight tracking website flightaware.com.
Some cargo was also delayed as inclement weather moved east and south across the country. Amazon and FedEx said severe weather could cause delays for those awaiting Christmas deliveries.
“Our delivery promises factor in forecasted weather and delivery dates are shown transparently at checkout,” said Sam Stephenson, an Amazon spokesman. “While the vast majority of deliveries make it to customers without issue, if something does occur, we work with customers directly to make it right.”
Winter break began early for thousands of kids as many schools canceled classes Thursday. In Minneapolis, where winter break was already underway, there was no programming at recreation centers run by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board. They were closed Thursday, as was the Phillips Aquatics Center.
In St. Paul, all recreation centers will close at 5 p.m. Thursday and no outdoor activities will be held. The Holiday Express event at Phalen Recreation Center is canceled, the city said.
Downhill ski slopes and tubing facilities at Elm Creek and Hyland Hills park reserves were closed Thursday and will be through Sunday. But trails at all Three Rivers Park District locations remained open.
“If you are brave enough hike trail you can do that,” said spokesman Tom Knisley.
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Osseo, Hastings, Plymouth, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, Crystal, Robbinsdale, Eden Prairie, Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park were among metro area cities to declare snow emergencies that continued Thursday.
Here’s a timeline of what to expect over the next three days:
Thursday
Winds will pick up over the next 12 hours, reaching 20 to 30 mph by evening and leading to widespread blowing and drifting and reduced visibility. Wind chill readings will sink to between minus 30 and minus 45 degrees.
Thursday night to Friday
Conditions will be the worst after 6 p.m. Thursday through most of Friday, the National Weather Service said. Peak winds will approach 40 mph between midnight and noon Friday. “Significant travel impacts are likely across the area,” the Weather Service said.
Power outages also are possible as snow still caked on trees from last week’s storm could cause branches to break under the pressure and fall on power lines, the Weather Service said.
Saturday
Dangerously low wind chills will envelop much of central and southern Minnesota through Saturday morning. The lowest readings are expected from 9 a.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday and again on Saturday morning.
Betty Danger’s, the quirky northeast Minneapolis bar known for its Ferris wheel and miniature golf, has been sold for $3.5 million.
The property, located at 2501 Marshall St. NE and 2519 Marshall St. NE, was purchased on Nov. 15, according to the certificate of real estate value filed with the state. The primary buyer of the site is entrepreneur Joe Radaich, according to Taylor VerMeer, a spokeswoman for an undisclosed project planned for the site.
“While I can confirm that Joe Radaich is the primary buyer listed on this project, we are not able to share anything more at this time,” VerMeer said in an email.
Radaich has operated bars in the past, including Sporty’s Pub and Grill, which later became Como Tap. Radaich no longer operates Como Tap, an employee said on Tuesday. Radaich did not return requests for comment. Attempts to reach Leslie Bock, the Betty Danger’s previous owner, were unsuccessful.
The property’s mortgage payments are set at $18,886 per month with a 6.15% interest rate, the state filings show.
A Minneapolis nonprofit that served food to low-income kids has agreed to dissolve itself after a state investigation found it violated laws regarding its operations and financial transactions.
The move was announced Tuesday by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office began investigating Gar Gaar Family Services, also known as the Youth Leadership Academy, after it was denied from participating in a federally funded program to provide food to students after school.
The investigation then found additional issues, including:
An attorney who has represented Gar Gaar, Barbara Berens, could not be reached Tuesday afternoon. Neither Ali or Morioka have been charged in criminal court.
The settlement by the state and Gar Gaar requires it to begin the dissolution process within 60 days of a court’s approval. The nonprofit then must transfer its assets to other charitable organizations with a similar mission.
Gar Gaar, which means “help” in Somali, launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help students in need, especially those in the Somali community. The group served meals outside of the school year as part of the Summer Food Service Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture but managed by the Minnesota Department of Education.
Gar Gaar received $21 million in reimbursements for serving 7 million meals — the top provider of summer meals in Minnesota in 2021.
What would have been a wild story was quickly put to rest Tuesday when Bloomington police issued a statement clarifying that no, it was not in possession of a recorded O.J. Simpson murder confession.
TMZ reported Tuesday afternoon that Bloomington police may have unwittingly come into possession of such a recording after arresting a former bodyguard of Simpson’s more than two years ago.
But about two hours after that report published, the suburban police department sent out a release that said the belongings seized during the arrest of Iroc Avelli had been inspected and officers “did not locate any information of evidentiary value for the Los Angeles Police Department.”
Here’s what police said happened:
Bloomington police arrested Avelli under suspicion of assault on March 3, 2022. Several items were taken by police in the process, including a backpack which contained multiple thumb drives, according to a statement.
They said Avelli and his attorney said one of the thumb drives in the backpack contained a recording of Simpson confessing to the infamous 1994 murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman, according to Bloomington police.
A search warrant was granted to inspect the thumb drives. A copy was obtained by TMZ, dated June 26, and the document only said the results from the search were “pending.”
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