More than twenty people were injured in a pileup on a Wisconsin highway caused by heavy snow

Authorities said more than two dozen people were injured in a massive traffic collision amid snowy conditions in southern Wisconsin on Friday, shutting down Interstate 39/90 for hours.

The Wisconsin State Patrol said in a statement posted to its Facebook page that the accident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time in Rock County between Janesville and Beloit. The soldiers arrive to find the highway blocked in both directions.

Beloit Health System, a medical center located in Beloit, Wisconsin, confirmed in an email to CBS News that it is treating approximately 27 patients from the crash. No details were provided on the condition of the patients.

“We continue to work with local and local emergency medical services but have been notified that we will not be taking any more patients,” Beloit spokesman Tammy Scarpetta said.

State patrol officials said snow, ice and white weather conditions were factors in the accident. As of 6 a.m. Friday, the Beloit area had seen 2.2 inches of snow in the past 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.

Soldiers diverted traffic onto side roads. WIFR-TV posted live video of the scene shortly before 4 p.m. showing semi-trailers backed up as emergency workers drove around.

Another multi-vehicle accident around 1:30 p.m. Friday shut down northbound Interstate 41 in Kenosha County near the Wisconsin-Illinois border, the state patrol said in a separate statement. According to State Patrol, snowy, icy and whitewashed conditions also caused the accident.

Most of southern Wisconsin remained under a wintry weather warning Friday afternoon with more snow expected Saturday.