Government agencies including MNDOT, Xcel Energy and MSP say they are preparing for a snowstorm expected Sunday.
MINNEAPOLIS — Snow removal crews, energy workers and business owners across Minnesota are preparing for Sunday's snowfall, which is shaping up to be the most significant of the winter so far.
On the roads, MNDOT spokeswoman Ann Meyer said the agency is preaching flexibility and will closely monitor when snow turns to rain. MNDOT plans to have drivers working 12-hour shifts and operate a total of 800 plows across the state.
All of these plows are equipped with real-time technology that monitors road temperatures, air temperatures, precipitation, and predictive models.
“This is a bit of a nasty storm,” Meyer said. “If you see that switch…it's better than overnight because you might be dealing with icing. So there's a lot of things to look at and pay attention to.”
At the airport, an MSP spokesperson said: “We are doing everything we can and will remain on scene until the storm has passed.” This includes the deployment of 180 special equipment and vehicles and approximately 320 personnel to assist with snow removal and runway cleaning.
Meanwhile, Xcel Energy has crews on standby in case of power outages, with a focus on large-scale outages first. Xcel manages his 155,000 lines throughout Minnesota.
Regional Vice President John Marshall said the timing of the late March snowfall does not necessarily change Excel's strategy. However, there is a possibility of heavy snowfall, which could complicate the response.
“Heavy snow causes some unique phenomena in our system. Snow is heavy and puts stress on trees, which can cause branches to break and power outages to occur,” Marshall said. . “Roads have become slippery in some places, resulting in sporadic car-to-pole collisions across the state.”
With the upcoming snow event, home improvement stores are scrambling to get their winter items back on display.
At the Hamel Building Center, Jim Herbert put down a shovel in front of the store, in the spring garden section.
However, the situation is different in late March when a storm hits than in, say, early November.
“Everyone knows it melts, right? So it's totally different,” Herbert said. “This has been one of the strangest winters… I hope we don't have a summer like winter!”
Check out our news for the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. YouTube playlist:
