A foot's worth of winter

• Snowplow

By Wednesday afternoon, city crews were clearing out the last of the block-long piles of snow downtown. City employee Curt Nelson was behind the wheel of this heavy-duty snowblower. Nelson, who has worked for the city for 30 years, said he and his co-workers were working 12-hour shifts to clear the streets. Photo by Amy Chaffins.
• Intersection

At 7 a.m. on most weekdays, the intersection at 3rd and Broadway is usually buzzing with drivers zipping to work or school. On Wednesday, it was eerily quiet with just a few people out and about in the snow. Photo by Amy Chaffins.
• Tractor

Amid swirling gusts of windblown snow, there were many hearty souls out early Wednesday morning clearing sidewalks and driveways. Photo by Amy Chaffins.

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A strong winter storm kicked into action Tuesday night and dumped 12 inches of snow across the Alexandria area.

What a difference just 12 hours made here in the lakes area.

The calm before the storm Tuesday afternoon left many people wondering if meteorologists had it all wrong forecasting a blizzard.

But then, around 6 p.m., the sky let loose – rain turned to sleet and sleet turned to snow.

Residents in west central Minnesota woke up to about 12 inches of heavy snow and gusty wind.

Originally forecast as a blizzard, the Tuesday-Wednesday snowstorm was downshifted into a winter storm warning that lasted through Wednesday.

Area schools were closed Wednesday along with several businesses and services.

The State Patrol reported driving conditions were “difficult” Wednesday morning.

For the most part, people stayed home and hunkered down during the storm. Local law enforcement reported that it was a relatively quiet overnight, considering.

On roads statewide Wednesday, February 29, there were 160 crashes – 15 involving injuries, 281 reports of vehicles off the road and five jackknifed vehicles, according to the State Patrol.

Follow #AlexMN @EchoPress Reporter and Osakis Review Managing Editor Amy Chaffins on Twitter at @TheOsakisReview.

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Tags: local news, news, snow, blizzard