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Around 7:30 on Tuesday morning, a spin-out closed at least one lane of I-35W in Burnsville, causing a significant traffic snarl. (Minnesota Department of Transportation)

St. Paul, Minn. — (AP) The worst of the biggest snowstorm so far this winter was predicted to be over by Thursday, when many parts of the state were to be under at least 8 inches of fresh snow.

By the time the storm breaks, the National Weather Service was predicting up to a foot of snow would fall along Lake Superior, about 8 inches in the Twin Cities and about 5 inches in the southwest part of the state.

While the roads were sloppy for metro commuters Wednesday, Department of Public Safety spokesman Kevin Smith said there wasn't a big jump in the number of accidents.

"This isn't something unusual in any way, nor is it dramatic for what we have seen in the past in terms of early season snowfalls," he said. "We've seen worse."

The key was that drivers slowed down. "Since speed kills and you can't go very fast, I think you win here," Smith said.

However, the State Patrol said two people died Wednesday morning on Highway 14 near Owatonna when a tractor-trailer lost control on the slippery road and hit a minivan, killing its two occupants. Their names were not immediately released.

In St. Paul, a school bus slid through and intersection and hit a tree. Local police said six children were on the bus and four where taken to Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul with minor injuries.

The Stearns County Sheriff's Office reported a county-owned snowplow collided with an Oldsmobile minivan in the heavy snowfall on County Road 11 about 7:40 a.m. Wednesday. The driver of the minivan was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The snowplow driver wasn't hurt.

The storm blew into the state from the west before dawn Monday, leaving 4 inches of snow at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by 8:30 a.m. with more snow falling during the day. The storm didn't significantly delay flights.

"There have been some delays, but they have been relatively minor," said Pat Hogan, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which operates the airport. The delays were between 16 and 30 minutes.

"It looks like we have seen the worst of it," he said. "We hope so."

Hogan said the airport was better able to cope with snowstorms after the opening of a third runway earlier this year. Crews can now plow one runway while having two others open. There's also more equipment available this year.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation planned to keep its snow and ice crews on the roads 24 hours a day through Friday, said Todd Kramascz, supervisor of the department's traffic management center in Roseville.

He said it appeared the worst of the weather was over by Wednesday afternoon, when the state's roads were in fair condition. He cautioned drivers to be careful on bridge and on- and off-ramps.

Kramascz said based on the number of accidents Wednesday, it appeared that motorists were driving sensibly. "We were expecting a higher number of incidents," he said.