No travel advised in area

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The Minnesota Department of Transportation strongly advises no travel in the west central Minnesota counties of Becker, Big Stone, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Mahnomen, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse and Wilkin.

Extremely heavy snowfall is currently causing dangerous driving conditions throughout the region. Visibility is reduced - to zero in some places - and snow is making roadways very slippery. The National Weather Service has predicted up to 14 more inches of snow into Wednesday and high winds this afternoon and evening, even further reducing visibility.

If you must travel, Mn/DOT recommends the following for safe driving:

--Be particularly aware of black ice conditions on surfaces that may have recently had water on the roadway from flooding

--Stay alert and do not drive when drowsy or tired - driver fatigue causes slow reaction time and loss of concentration

--Drive defensively - other drivers, particularly in west central and northwest Minnesota, could be fatigued from long hours of flood fighting activities

--Leave extra room between your vehicle and snowplows or other removal equipment - snowplows travel much slower than the posted speed

--NEVER drive into a snow cloud

--Plan ahead regarding travel time - don’t put your schedule before safety

--Always use seat belts

--Do not use cruise control

For more information:

--Call 5-1-1 or log on to www.511mn.org for road condition information when traveling in the west central and northwest areas Minnesota where severe weather and potential flooding conditions exist.

Tags: weather, alert, snow