The first major snowstorm of the season was marching across central and southern Minnesota Thursday morning, creating difficult travel conditions, delaying or closing some schools and turning the brown landscape into a winter wonderland.

A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from the Red River Valley in northwestern Minnesota east to Duluth and south through the Twin Cities into western Wisconsin. Between 4 and 7 inches could fall along and north of I-94 while 3 to 6 inches could pile up in southern and southwestern Minnesota, where a Winter Weather Advisory is in place, the National Weather Service said.

“Plan for a slick and hazardous Thursday morning commute,” the National Weather Service said. “Allow extra time to get to your destination and remember, take it slow.”

Metro area roads were snow-covered at 6 a.m. even as a full complement of Minnesota Department of Transportation plows were out attempting to clear them off. Snow was falling at about a half inch to an inch an hour, making the job tough.

Metro Transit buses, light-rail trains and the Northstar Commuter lines were running with “minimal delays” at 5:30 a.m., the agency said.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport reported eight delayed flights, four outbound and four inbound, as of 6 a.m., but no cancellations, according to the flight tracking website Flightaware.com.

Brainerd, Fergus Falls, Little Falls and Royalton in outstate Minnesota, and Stillwater in the metro area were among districts calling off classes Thursday while others will start classes a couple hours late.

Snow is expected to wind down by late afternoon in most places, but gusty winds will blow around anything that falls impacting travel late into the night, the Weather Service said.

A 27-year-old Hastings man has been accused in federal court of producing child pornography over a roughly two-year span, and investigators are trying to identify additional potential victims.

Hunter James Geidlwas charged with four counts of either production or possession of child pornography in federal court Dec. 10. He has pleaded not guilty.

According to the charges, Geidl employed and used minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for producing explicit videos from July 2022 to March 2024. He is also accused of possessing a video file of pornographic material involving a minor in 2022.

Geidl made his initial appearance in court Friday and remains in custody, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger.

Investigators believe other minors may have been victimized and ask that if anyone believes their child has been in contact with Geidl to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.

“She was really into the Replacements. So for her to have her dad suddenly playing in the band, it would be like my dad joining the Rolling Stones.”

Dunlap played guitar on the final two Replacements studio albums, also including 1991’s “All Shook Down.” Westerberg and bassist Tommy Stinson later credited him for sparking a new spirit in the band and extending their run during their waning years.

After the break-up in 1991, Dunlap toured with Dan Baird of the Georgia Satellites, who led the first fundraising campaign on Dunlap’s behalf in the days after his stroke.

Finally, in 1993, Dunlap got his own chance to shine as a singer/songwriter.

He channeled his love for Hank Williams, Chuck Berry and vintage blues alongside the Replacements’ Stones and Faces influences on his debut album, “The Old New Me,” issued by former ‘Mats manager and Twin/Tone Records co-founder Peter Jesperson on the Medium Cool record label. A second solo album came three years later, “Times Like This,” similarly earning a cult-loved status — especially among fellow musicians.

Springsteen publicly raved about those records numerous times, including in a 2014 interview with NPR’s Ann Powers: “I hope I get a chance to cut one of his songs,” said the Boss. “Check out the two Slim Dunlap records, because they’re just beautiful rock ‘n’ roll records. I found them to be deeply touching and emotional.”