TRADITION FOR MANY BUT DO WE
PREFER THE REAL OR THE
ARTIFICIAL KIND?
NOW, FROM MINNESOTA'S MOST-
WATCHED STATION THIS IS WCCO 4
NEWS.
IT EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I AM FRANK VASCELLARO.
AMELIA HAS THE NIGHT OFF.
WE ARE TRACKING A WINTER STORM
HITTING THE METRO RIGHT NOW.
HERE IS A LOOK AT ANDERSON
LAKES PARKWAY.
THAT IS THE BORDER OF EDEN
PRAIRIE IN BLOOMINGTON.
SNOW IS BLOWING AS IT COMES
DOWN AND THE WIND SWIRLS IT
AROUND.
STATE PATROLS REMINDING DRIVERS
TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL ON THE
ROADS.
THEY SAY ALREADY, THERE HAVE
BEEN 121 CRASHES IN MINNESOTA
AND THIS EVENING.
HALF OF THOSE INVOLVED CARS
SPINNING OUT OR SLIDING OFF OF
A SLICK ROAD.
10 PEOPLE WERE HURT IN THOSE
CRASHES AND WE HAVE WORD THAT
ONE PERSON HAS DIED.
WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE THIS
EVENING.
ROSTRAVER IS TRACKING THE STORM
HERE IN THE STUDIO.
JOHN LAURITSEN IS IN MAPLE
GROVE.
BUT FIRST LET'S GET TO CHRIS ON
THE LATEST FOR WHAT'S GOING ON
AND IN OUR FUTURE.
THE GREATEST SNOW TOTALS
HAVE BEEN IN EXTREME MINNESOTA
WITH 7 TO 11 INCHES OF SNOW.
THE REST OF THE STATE WE LOST A
LOT OF ACCUMULATION TO THE
HEAVY RAIN THAT PRECEDED THE
SNOWFALL BUT WEATHER WATCHERS
WITH AN INCH AND A HALF.
Reporter: IN SPRINGFIELD
OVER AN INCH.
SEVERAL PARTS COMING IN AROUND
AN INCH.
WE WILL START TO SEE MORE
AROUND THE TWIN CITIES METRO
BECAUSE THE HEAVY RAIN THAT
CAME THROUGH HERE HAS CHANGED
TO ALL SNOW AND IT IS
ACCUMULATING.
MAINLY IN THE GRASSY AREAS, ON
YOUR DECKS.
MOST OF THE ROADWAYS ARE WET AT
THIS POINT, BUT THE SIDE ROADS
WILL BE COVERED LIKE OTHER
PARTS OF THE STATE.
YOU CAN SEE THE BACK EDGE OF
THE SNOWFALL MOVING WEST TO
EAST ACROSS THE STATE.
THE NOT SERVE -- NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE HAS A FEW
POCKETS OF WINTER STORM
WARNINGS.
THE MAIN CONCERN IS OBVIOUSLY
TRAVEL AS FRANK MENTIONED.
THE ROAD CONDITIONS WILL
CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE AND WE
WILL HAVE MORE ISSUES EVEN
AROUND THE TWIN CITIES.
LET'S GO TO JOHN LAURITSEN IN
MAPLE GROVE NOW TO GIVE US A
LITTLE FLAVOR OF WHAT'S
HAPPENING.
Reporter: IT'S A LOT OF FUN
OUT HERE TO SAY THE LEAST.
THE WIND HAS PICKED UP AND THE
SNOW HAS PICKED UP AS WELL.
WE ARE AT A REST AREA ON MAPLE
GROVE NEXT TO I 94.
TRAFFIC IS MOVING PRETTY WELL,
BUT TRUST ME IT'S SLICK OUT
THERE.
WE WERE JUST ON THE ROADS A FEW
MINUTES AGO AND THINGS ARE
MOVING. WE SAW A COUPLE SPIN
OUTS BUT THE DRIVERS, TWO
DIFFERENT VEHICLES, WERE BOTH
OKAY, AND ARE MOVING AGAIN.
57 FOR THE RECORD HIGH TODAY
AND DROPS TO 19 OVERNIGHT.
THAT COULD MAKE FOR SLICK ROAD
CONDITIONS THROUGH THE NIGHT,
AND INTO THE MORNING.
I WAS SITTING FOR MY 10th
HOUR BREAK AND THEN I AM TAKING
OFF IN THE MORNING.
Reporter: THE CALM BEFORE
THE STORM AS DRIVERS
ANTICIPATED MILD TEMPERATURES
TO GIVE WAY TO SNOW AND WIND,
THEN COLD.
I HAVE DRIVEN ON ABOUT 2
INCHES OF ICE IN ALASKA.
Reporter: MIRANDA WAS
PLANNING ON SPENDING THE NIGHT
BEFORE SHE AND HER TRAVEL BUT
HE PICKED UP A NEW LOAD AND
MADE THEIR WAY TO ILLINOIS,
UNSURE WHAT THE ROADS WILL BE
LIKE COME MORNING.
IT'S MY FIRST TIME DRIVING
THE TRUCK SO IT MAKES ME A
LITTLE BIT NERVOUS BUT I AM
USED TO DRIVING IN THE ICE.
TROPICAL MNDOT IS HOPING TO
EASE THAT ANXIETY.
THEY SPENT MONDAY PREPARING FOR
WHATEVER COMES THEIR WAY.
WE'VE HAD PRETTY GOOD
WEATHER, EASY CEILING FOR
DRIVERS BUT WHAT WE SEE EVERY
YEAR IS WHEN THE FIRST SNOW
COMES, IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE
FOR DRIVING SKILLS TO GET BACK
ON THE GAME AND WE SEEK PEOPLE
CRASHING INTO OUR PLOWS A LOT.
Reporter: ACE HARDWARE WAS
HOPING TO GET BUSY INVOICE.
THEY ARE STOCKED WITH ICE AND
SHOVELS BUT SO FAR, CHRISTMAS
LIGHTS AND EXTENSION CORDS HAVE
BEEN THE TOP SELLERS THIS
DECEMBER.
IF THEY SEE IT COMING DOWN,
THEY WILL RUSSIAN.
THEY SHOULD THEY WILL RUSH IN.
I GUESS IT'S ALL PART OF THE
FUN.
Reporter: FUN TO LOOK AT BUT
NOT SO MUCH FUN TO DRIVE.