Minnesota spent a record $174 million to clear snowy highways last winter

• The sum, which is the most the agency has ever spent on a season, is close to 25% higher than the average for the previous five years, according to a MnDOT press release.

Zoom in: More than 1,600 operators driving 800-plus plows worked a combined 850,000 hours to keep highway lanes cleared.

Of note: The sum doesn't include the time and money municipal public works departments spent to clear main roads that aren't highways or residential streets.

Flashback: Blizzard after blizzard blitzed Minnesota this past winter, dumping an average snowfall of 90.2 inches across the state.

• The Twin Cities got 90.3 inches, making the season the third-snowiest on record. Other parts of the state, including Duluth and St. Cloud, saw record amounts.