By Austin Daily Herald and the Associated Press

Snow made for an icy start to Thanksgiving travel Wednesday afternoon.

A winter storm in south-central Minnesota created difficult driving conditions on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

The Minnesota State Patrol says troopers have handled nearly 400 crashes and more than 200 spinouts statewide as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. Fifty-five of those crashes involved injuries, including one with serious injuries. Several accidents were reported on Interstate 90 near Owatonna and Medford on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service reported 11 inches of snow had fallen northwest of Faribault by Wednesday afternoon. Other snowfall reports include 9.3 inches in Amboy. 8.5 inches in Fairmont, 8 inches in Winnebago and 7 inches in Mapleton and Mankato. As of 5:30 p.m., more than 3 inches had fallen in Austin.

While the snow will end, Thanksgiving Day may prove to be a good day to stay in, eat and watch football, thanks to cold temperatures.

After snow and a high of 26 degrees on Wednesday, temperatures were expected to drop to 1 degree with wind chill values near 11 below overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Thursday’s high was expected to be around 10 degrees with wind chills dropping as low as 14 below.

There’s a chance of flurries on Thursday night and a slight chance of freezing drizzle Friday morning.

Thursday’s cold weather isn’t expected to last, and temperatures should improve by the time Christmas in the City kicks off downtown at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Friday’s high will be around 29 with a low near 24. Saturday’s will be 37.

Record temperatures in Austin on Nov. 27:

High: 64 in 1998

Low: -9 in 1959