The National Weather Service thanked people in Minnesota and Wisconsin. (Photo: Facebook) Severe weather hit the Twin Cities over the weekend, and now the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) is thanking “the people of Minnesota and Wisconsin” for listening to its reports in order to safely deal with the snow. In a handwritten note posted to its Twin Cities Facebook page, the NWS thanked residents, emergency responders and the media for contributing their efforts to keep the area safe during a crazy blizzard. “Thank you for following the forecast this past weekend and staying off the roads,” the letter began, before addressing the role of the media for circulating the weather reports, people on social media for sharing them and emergency responders for risking their lives to rescue others. “Together we are a Weather-Ready Nation.” The letter of gratitude comes after a motorist in Neenah, Wis., was killed and 71 others were injured on Sunday in a 131-vehicle pileup that resulted from the highway’s poor conditions from the blizzard. People in the Facebook post’s comments section thanked the NWS in return for ensuring that more tragic accidents like it didn’t occur. “The people of Minnesota and Wisconsin should be thanking you! Your forecasts save lives,” one person wrote. Another expressed appreciation for the handwritten note, “That’s some real care and concern for the people right there!” “Thank You. For your dedicated public service work, announcements and forecasting accuracy, and for posting this note,” a person wrote. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: • Hiker stuck in quicksand for 10 hours before being rescued: ‘It was just a freak accident’ • 87-year-old woman credits neighbor’s dog for saving her life after she fell in below-zero temperatures • Parents outraged as Wisconsin school holds fire drill during subzero temperatures Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.<doc-sep>Sophie Carson Oshkosh Northwestern Strong winds and blowing snow Sunday made roads treacherous across Wisconsin, leading to multi-car pileups, interstate closures, power outages and white-out conditions. One person died in a multi-vehicle pileup on I-41 in the town of Neenah, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The crash involved dozens of vehicles and left the highway closed for most of the day Sunday. The National Weather Service measured winds up to 55 miles an hour across northeast and central Wisconsin Sunday afternoon after a foot of snow fell overnight near Wausau. Sunday's storm was Wood County's first official blizzard since 1996 — though Outagamie, Brown and Manitowoc counties saw their last blizzards in April 2018. The National Weather Service in Ashwaubenon issued a blizzard warning through Sunday night for central Wisconsin, including the cities of Wausau, Marshfield, Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point. MORE ON I-41 multiple car pileup:1 dead in major crash on I-41 involving dozens of cars VIDEO:Fond du Lac Sheriff's officer injured in crash Eastern Wisconsin did not get the blizzard designation — places like Oshkosh saw less than an inch of snow. Instead the Weather Service issued a high wind warning for Door County down to the Illinois border. Winds were as much as 60 miles an hour late Sunday afternoon at the Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport. A winter storm warning was in effect for Waushara, Shawano, Waupaca and Menominee counties until 6 p.m. The strong winds made visibility less than a quarter of a mile, and interstates 41 and 43 shut down throughout the day to clear major crashes. A video submitted by former Appleton Post-Crescent photographer Dwight Nale showed cars and semi trucks sandwiched together at the scene of the I-41 crash in the town of Neenah. A multi-vehicle crash in Fond du Lac County involved a Sheriff's Office squad car. Some occupants had minor injuries, according to the Sheriff's Office. The Sheboygan County Sheriff's Office reported two of its squad cars were also damaged in crashes Sunday. Neither deputy was injured. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said travel was not advised across most major highways Sunday in central Wisconsin, while northeast Wisconsin highways had slippery stretches, according to 511wi.gov. The Weather Service predicted the strongest winds Sunday would be in the Fox Valley and lakeshore areas from midmorning to early evening. In central Wisconsin, an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow was predicted to fall Sunday. “Lightweight structures such as fishing shanties and trash containers will likely be blown around. Near zero visibility is possible in any snow showers that occur along with the strong winds,” the the Weather Service said in its high wind advisory. “Driving may be especially difficult on north-south roads.” Power outages hit hardest the central Wisconsin communities of Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids and Marshfield as well as Waupaca and Clintonville. More than 13,000 customers had no power throughout the day. As of 2 p.m. 6,081 Alliant Energy customers were without power in the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin coverage area. Wisconsin Public Service reported 6,114 customers without power in the state. Wisconsin Rapids Power & Lights listed 1,085 without power. Videos and photos from law enforcement agencies across the state Sunday showed whiteout conditions and icy surfaces on highways with zero visibility. They came with warnings to stay off the roads. The Wood County Sheriff's Department posted a short video Sunday morning to its Facebook page showing officers assisting a semi truck that had gotten stuck on U.S. 10 near Auburndale, with a warning that "many more along the way are getting stuck." “Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel,” the blizzard warning reads. Wisconsin DOT released a video from Lincoln County on U.S. 51, where roads had whiteout conditions. Various communities issued orders because of the dangerous weather. Wausau, Marshfield, Merrill, Nekoosa and Wisconsin Rapids issued snow emergencies Sunday. Manitowoc County instituted a tow ban for Interstate 43, so if a car spun off the road, tow trucks would not rescue them. It is too dangerous for traffic, Manitowoc County Emergency Services said on Facebook. After Saturday and Sunday's strong winter storm, bitter cold temperatures will arrive in the state Tuesday, according to the Weather Service. This story will be updated throughout the day.<doc-sep>Authorities have rescued dozens of people stranded by a blizzard that howled across southern Minnesota and dumped about a foot of snow in some places. In east-central Wisconsin, one person was killed and several others injured Sunday in an interstate pileup involving more than 100 vehicles during whiteout conditions. The Minnesota National Guard rescued 30 people in Freeborn County on Saturday night, Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in a tweet. Sheriff's deputies rescued an additional 20 people. Forty-eight people were sheltered at a National Guard armory in Albert Lea, near the Minnesota-Iowa border, while the Owatonna armory housed 24 people stranded by the blizzard. Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency late Saturday and ordered the guard to help stranded motorists in Freeborn and Steele counties. Conditions were so bad in southern Minnesota on Sunday that state Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Joe Kelly urged residents to stay home, or to stay in their vehicles and wait for help if stranded on the road. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said Interstate 35 is closed from Owatonna to the Iowa border and I-90 is closed from Dexter in Mower County west, due to poor driving conditions with blowing and drifting snow. Many other highways in southeastern Minnesota were closed Sunday morning. The National Weather Service reported 13 inches (33 centimeters) of snow in Kasson, 11.5 inches (29 centimeters) in Albert Lea and 11 inches (27.9 centimeters) in Ellendale. In Wisconsin, one person was killed and several others injured and taken to hospitals Sunday in a pileup amid whiteout conditions on southbound Interstate 41 that involved more than 100 vehicles, the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office said. North Dakota transportation officials closed I-29 in both the northbound and southbound lanes from Grand Forks to the Canadian border on Sunday because of blowing snow, which was creating icy road conditions, areas of zero visibility and life-threatening driving conditions.<doc-sep>
ASSOCIATED PRESS MINNEAPOLIS — Dangerous cold once again gripped the Upper Midwest on Monday, following a deadly blizzard that caused multiple pileups, paralyzed highways, and stranded motorists and anglers. The National Weather Service posted wind chill advisories or warnings for much of the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wisconsin early Monday. The combination of low temperatures and strong wind made it feel like the minus 40s in northern North Dakota and northern Minnesota. The St. Cloud area could get another 2-4 inches of snow Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, which would widen the city’s February snowfall record, set anew Feb. 20. So far this month, 25.1 inches of snow has fallen here, breaking the previous February record of 21.6 inches, set in 1971. The last time St. Cloud saw more snow in one month was more than 44 years ago, in January 1975. But we have no shot at the record: A staggering 51.7 inches fell in March 1965. Dozens of schools in the four states closed Monday or began classes late due to the snow and bitter cold. Several highways in southern Minnesota remained closed or blocked Monday morning after the storm dumped about a foot of snow in some places. Transportation officials reopened Interstate 29 in northeastern North Dakota late Sunday but warned travelers about poor driving conditions. The Minnesota National Guard and sheriff's deputies rescued nearly 100 stranded motorists over the weekend. The State Patrol said whiteout conditions Sunday contributed to 165 crashes with 20 injuries, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In Wisconsin, a chain-reaction pileup Sunday involving 131 vehicles on Interstate 41 in the Neenah area killed one motorist and injured 71 others. Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz on Monday identified 30-year-old Andrew Schefelker of Oshkosh as the person killed in the pileup. Schefelker was a middle school/high school science teacher in the Iola-Scandinavia School District, Matz said. "I've been in the law enforcement business, this is my 27th year," Winnebago County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Todd Christopherson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "On scene, that was the worst conditions I've ever seen." MORE:Blowing snow strands many anglers on Mille Lacs No travel was advised in parts of Wisconsin early Monday because of poor road conditions. The roof of a 150-year-old historic covered bridge in Zumbrota in southeastern Minnesota collapsed Sunday due to the heavy snow and high winds, Minnesota Public Radio reported. It was the only remaining covered timber truss bridge in Minnesota, according to the state Transportation Department. Mayor Bradley Drenckhahn said the bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is insured and officials have the blueprint to rebuild it. In northern Minnesota, rescuers on snowmobiles and snowshoes battled 50-mph (80 kph) winds to rescue four anglers stranded on a snow-swept lake. The anglers' snowmobiles became stuck more than 2 miles out on Greenwood Lake Sunday afternoon, Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. They were able to call police in Ontario, Canada, who alerted Cook County authorities. Search-and-rescue personnel from several agencies found the foursome about three hours later. One angler was showing signs of hypothermia, frostbite and dehydration and was taken to a hospital on roads that had to be cleared of drifting snow by a private plow operator. In northeastern South Dakota, a grain train derailed in Milbank early Monday when it struck a pickup truck hauling a trailer that became stuck in snow at a crossing, City Administrator John Forman said. Twenty-three rail cars and two engines went off the track, spilling an unknown amount of grain. No one was hurt. DIGGING DEEPER:What's with all this snow? 10 numbers to know