A blizzard warning remained in effect for St. Louis and Carlton counties along Minnesota’s North Shore through noon Thursday, February 19, 2026, as a powerful winter storm continued to disrupt travel and cause power outages across the state. The National Weather Service reported up to 12 inches of snow had already fallen in the region, with wind gusts reaching 60 miles per hour.
The storm, which began impacting Minnesota on Wednesday, February 18, led to hundreds of crashes statewide, including 132 property damage incidents, six injury crashes, and 109 vehicles found off the road between 5 p.m. And 8:30 p.m. Wednesday alone, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Ten semi-trucks jackknifed during the same period.
While the Twin Cities experienced lighter snowfall, conditions remained hazardous. Parking restrictions were implemented in Crystal, Minnesota, beginning at midnight Thursday, prohibiting parking on public streets and alleys until snow removal is complete. Belle Plaine also enacted off-street parking requirements.
The North Shore bore the brunt of the storm, with some areas receiving over 30 inches of snow. Highway 61 was closed Wednesday morning from Duluth to the Canadian border to allow snowplow crews to clear the roadway. Visibility in Two Harbors dropped to as low as a quarter of a mile early Wednesday.
“We are seeing a large number of vehicles off the road, so for the most part, that seems to be people driving too fast for the conditions,” said Lt. Mike Lee of the Minnesota State Patrol.
The storm also disrupted access to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, breaking up the ice pack at the caves and likely ending foot access for the remainder of the winter.
Northern Minnesota experienced a rare weather phenomenon Tuesday night, with reports of thundersnow – lightning accompanied by snowfall – occurring three times in the Duluth area. Adam Lorch, chief meteorologist at Northern News Now, described the event as “super cool” after capturing it live on camera.
Despite the widespread snowfall, the National Weather Service extended winter weather advisories until 12 a.m. Thursday across central Minnesota, including the Twin Cities, and northern Minnesota. Gusty winds were expected to linger even after the snow diminished Wednesday night. A separate snowstorm is forecast to trend south and east of Minnesota Thursday night into Friday, though Minnesota is expected to avoid the worst of it.
Temperatures are expected to return to seasonal levels late in the week, leading into a quiet weekend. Twenty-five people were reported injured as a result of the storm, though no fatalities have been confirmed.
