There’s snow more room for it!

Last week’s storm dropped around 18 inches of snow over a two-plus day span that covered Minneota like a thick white blanket.
According to City of Minneota measurements, Minneota received six inches of snow on Wednesday, Feb. 22 with .40 of precipitation; and another 12 inches of snow on Thursday, Feb. 23 with .36 of precipitation.
The snow began to descend around 11 a.m. on Tuesday and then intensified by Wednesday afternoon. Some businesses in Minneota closed early on Wednesday. School was let out at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, and was closed on both Wednesday and Thursday, with a two-hour late start on Friday.
After-school activities were postponed on Thursday. The boys’ basketball team was scheduled to play Yellow Medicine East on Tuesday night and Luverne on Thursday night, but those games were both postponed. The game against Yellow Medicine East was rescheduled and played on Monday.
“Schools are allowed five eLearning days by the State, meaning the State gives us credit for the day,” said Minneota Superintendent Scott Monson. “We can count those toward the minimum number of instructional days and minimum number of instructional hours.”
Minneota students used up its allotted five days of eLearning in January.
“When or if school is called off now for a full day, we can decide to use a Local Decision eLearning Day (as) the State won’t allow us to count it toward their required days/hours,” said Monson, “but we still have continuity of instruction, students ‘see’ their teachers, albeit virtually, and we do not have to make up the day at the end of the year”.
Monson said the school district will look at potentially using Local Decision eLearning Days and/or make up the days(s) of missed school in May.
“The only snow day identified in this year’s Board-approved school calendar was Monday, Feb. 20,” said Monson. “So, we’ve had to revisit the school calendar twice, and the Board has revisited it twice. “Right now, we will need to have school for students and staff on Thursday, May 18 as a make-up day for Thursday, Feb. 23. If we miss any more days of school, I/we will look at potentially using Local Decision eLearning Days and/or making up the day(s) of missed school in May,” Monson noted.
Minneota Police Chief Bill Bolt said there were no problems in town despite the excessive amount of snow.
“It all went well here,” he said. “No accidents or people being stuck in town. We do need everyone to slow down because of the snow banks being so tall at intersection, and we need people to dig out their fire hydrants.”
Streets and highways were reportedly slick late Sunday night/early Monday morning due to black ice, as well as dense fog on both Monday and Tuesday.
The latter part of this week through the weekend is expected to be sunny with temperatures in the low to mid 30s.