Strong winds, blowing snow and icy road conditions created difficult driving conditions in southeastern Minnesota on Thursday.

Southbound Interstate 35 near Clarks Grove north of Albert Lea was closed for several hours due to a multi-vehicle crash.

Details of the crash had not been released as of press time.

Motorists were detoured at U.S. Highway 251 east to Freeborn County Road 26 south to Interstate 90 west. Difficult driving conditions were also reported on Interstate 90 in Mower County, on Highway 14 between Dodge Center and I-35 and in other areas in southeast Minnesota.

A crash on Minnesota Highway 109 west of Alden injured one man Thursday afternoon.

According to the State Patrol, a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer, driven by Teya Treptow, 18, of Wells was westbound on Highway 109, east of 630th Avenue in Freeborn County, when she reportedly lost control of her vehicle, crossed the centerline and collided with an eastbound 2018 Chevrolet Suburban, driven by James Schull, 71, of Mapleton.

Schull was taken to Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea for injuries deemed not life-threatening.

Treptow and Schull’s passenger, Susan Schull, 64, of Mapleton, were not injured.

The State Patrol stated roads were snow and ice-covered at the time of the crash.

Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag stressed to residents the condition of roads Thursday evening on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, “Most of the roads in Freeborn County are in terrible, icy condition. The high winds are creating ground blizzard visibility problems in many areas of the county.”

He said the Sheriff’s Office and State Patrol were maxed out with handling crashes and asked that people stay home if they didn’t have to travel.

The National Weather Service stated patchy blowing snow was expected to end before 11 p.m., with wind chills dropping to as low as 25 degrees below zero. The interstate was reportedly back open around 8 p.m.

Friday was forecast to be sunny with a high near 7.

Snow is expected to return Saturday night, mainly after midnight and continue Sunday. One to 2 inches is possible overnight Saturday, and 1 to 3 inches is possible Sunday.