© AP Photo/Jim MoneSales consultant Debra Anderson makes her way through the lot to clear snow off new cars Friday, Feb. 21, 2014 in Bloomington, Minn., following a snow storm that dumped heavy, wet snow over eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin, closing many schools including those in Bloomington and Minneapolis
Here's a rundown of the latest news from the areas that were impacted by Winter Storm Seneca.
Michigan
A February storm dumped more than a foot of snow in some places. Schools closed Friday in the state's three largest districts: Anoka-Hennepin, Minneapolis and St. Paul.
While the official snow total in the Twin Cities was 9.9 inches, northeastern Minnesota saw far more. The National Weather Service reported 14.5 inches in Alborn, 13 inches in Twig and 11 inches in Proctor.
National Weather Service chief meteorologist Dan Luna in Chanhassen says the 55.5 inches total accumulation so far this year in the Twin Cities is 16.2 inches above normal.
In Western Michigan, the snow caused whiteout conditions, leading to numerous crashes on the road, while strong winds caused scattered power outages contributing to shutting down the Mackinac Bridge. The bridge was reopened Friday night.
In the Grand Rapids area, multiple crashes were reported, including along Interstate 96. A blizzard warning was posted for parts of the Upper Peninsula, where up to 11 inches of snow fell by late Friday morning. In Allegan County, David Yettaw, 72, of Portage, died when his car struck a tour bus on U.S. 131. No one aboard the bus was injured.
Rain and melting snow earlier in the week caused road flooding. In Port Huron, authorities authorized icebreaking efforts along the Black River to prevent flooding from hitting area homes. Starting Friday and working over the next several days, crews in tug boats will begin at the mouth of the Black River and work inland. They'll be breaking ice to allow better water flow. People are asked to stay off the ice.
Minnesota
Winter Storm Seneca produced more than a foot of snow in some parts of Minnesota early Friday, where once again authorities advised against travel and schools closed. The heavy, wet snow and strong winds knocked down power lines, leaving thousands of residents without service. The storm's high winds knocked out power to nearly 50,000 Xcel Energy customers in Minnesota, company spokesman Tom Hoen said. By late Friday night, he said, 95 percent of those customers will have their power restored. The rest will see electricity restored by noon Saturday.
The Minnesota State Patrol closed southbound Interstate 35 from Owatonna to the Iowa border shortly after 1 a.m. Friday because of numerous accidents and stranded vehicles. Troopers dealt with scores of accidents, including a deadly one in Wabasha County, in which the driver of a van was killed after colliding with a semi on ice-covered Highway 42.
Though Interstate 94 remained open between Minneapolis and St. Paul, traffic was at a standstill during Friday morning rush hour, as drivers tried to gain traction on the ice hidden by the fresh snow.
Wisconsin
Winter Storm Seneca dumped more than a foot of snow in some parts of Wisconsin and whipped up winds, creating treacherous travel conditions. In northwestern Wisconsin, firefighters rescued a man pinned underneath the collapsed awning of his mobile home in Altoona early Friday. He was treated at the hospital for a leg injury, officials said. In nearby Eau Claire, part of a roof collapsed at a Kmart store under the weight of heavy snow, but no one was hurt.
Eighteen inches of new snow piled up in Douglas County in the northwest by noon Friday, with lesser amounts elsewhere. Strong winds whipped up whiteout conditions in rural areas.
Roads in northern and northwestern Wisconsin were still covered with snow by mid-afternoon Friday. Crews used a road grader to scrape ice off of westbound Interstate 94 near Eau Claire where semis were having trouble getting up hills.
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