Minnesota state troopers were kept extra busy late Friday and early Saturday, responding to more than 260 crashes on icy and snowy roads across the state in a 24-hour period.

People were injured in 33 of those crashes, State Patrol spokeswoman Lt. Tiffani Nielson said via e-mail. One critical injury was reported in Itasca County, she said.

Several of the injury crashes occurred in Stearns and Benton counties, where drivers faced reduced visibility and slick roads during and after light snowfall late Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Nielson said 231 of the crashes statewide resulted in vehicle damage.

The patrol usually handles 25 to 75 crashes when roads are clear and there is good visibility, Nielson said.

"Drivers need to be aware that road conditions can change quickly, especially on bridges, underpasses and ramps," she said. "Drivers need to drive at a safe speed, where if they lose traction with the roadway, they can still correct and not strike another vehicle or hit the ditch."

Visibility was also low overnight in the Twin Cities metro area, which received about 0.7 inches of snow and fog Friday, according to the Weather Service.

Foggy conditions in the Twin Cities are expected to return Saturday night into Sunday, according to the Weather Service. Temperatures should max around the low 30s.

Clouds are expected to clear Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees Monday. The chance of snowfall should return Wednesday.

The Weather Service issued a "Hazardous Weather Outlook" for counties in northeastern Minnesota, forecasting between 1 to 4 inches of snow in the North Shore through Saturday evening. This could lead to slick roads, the warning stated.

In an earlier snowfall, on Thursday, a 75-year-old man from Park Rapids, Minn., was killed in a two-car crash on icy Hwy. 71 in Hubbard County, in north-central Minnesota.

Dale Alfred Maves was driving alone in a 1999 Volkswagen Beetle north on Hwy. 71 south of County Road 44, in Guthrie Township, when it was hit by a southbound Subaru Legacy that had lost control on the slippery road, according to the State Patrol. The crash happened at 9:48 a.m.

The Subaru driver, Elise N. Sikes, 18, of Hudson, Wis., and her two passengers all suffered noncritical injuries.

All four people involved in the crash were wearing seat belts and alcohol was not a factor, the patrol said.

Miguel Otárola • 612-673-4753