The squall of slick winter snow Thursday morning brought many area highways to a standstill and caused a large amount of local traffic accidents.

St. Cloud Police Sergeant Jason Burke says as of  9 a.m. six crashes were reported this morning in the city due to the icy conditions. More than 10 vehicles crashed on Highway 10 south of Rice too. We’ve also heard reports of Interstate 94 near the Highway 23 overpass west of St. Cloud was at a standstill as of 9:30 a.m.  The roads were not treated with any chemicals or salt when the snow and winds came up shortly after 7 a.m.

Police say a majority of crashes are happening at intersections. Drivers are encouraged to drive slowly and leave plenty of space between vehicles.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for St. Cloud, central and southern parts of Minnesota today.

Winds will blow at 30 to 35 miles per hour with gusts of 45 to 50 miles per hour. The winds will be strong enough to shove high profile vehicles and make driving difficult.

The advisory will be in effect until 4 p.m.