Both Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies Wednesday afternoon after the Twin Cities area accumulated about 4 inches of snow from late Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Temperatures are expected to fall below zero by Thursday night.

The heavy snow and ice have contributed to hundreds of traffic accidents across Minnesota. From midnight to midday Wednesday, the Minnesota State Patrol reported 175 crashes statewide— 137 of those in the Twin Cities metro area. The state patrol said it responded to 192 incidents of vehicles off the road.

At least five crashes were fatal. A 16-year-old high school student died Wednesday after police say she apparently lost control of her car on a slushy road, slid sideways and collided with a sport utility vehicle in Lakeville, Minn.

Junior Andrew Zyla, a commuter student, said roads were messy on his way to class.

“The traffic was pretty bad,” Zyla said. “I ended up leaving 15 minutes early just to make sure.”

Senior Andrew Nauertz also commuted to campus, but said drivers reacted appropriately.

“The roads were kind of slippery, but I mean everybody is driving slower and being cautious, so it’s not too bad,” Nauertz said.

Freshman Madeleine Davidson said she enjoys the snow.

“I like the snow,” Davidson said. “I didn’t at first, but it’s really pretty around campus.”

The University of Minnesota-Duluth and most other schools in the area were closed Wednesday as a result of the two feet of snow that fell over a three-day period.

Junior Laura Krake said she is jealous of the Minnesota-Duluth students who have classes cancelled.

“Everyone wants a snow day so you can sit in and drink hot chocolate and be with friends,” Krake said.