BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Residents of North Dakota and South Dakota dealt with dangerous cold, high winds and blowing snow on Sunday that caused whiteout conditions and treacherous travel throughout much of the two states.
The storm, the most recent in a wave of heavy storms to hammer the Dakotas, packed powerful wind gusts that reached up to 60 mph over much of North Dakota and the northern portion of South Dakota on Sunday, said Adam Jones, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Forks.
It was nearly impossible to travel in some areas of the two states. Officials closed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 94 from Bismarck to Fargo early Sunday afternoon due to zero visibility and multiple accidents, including one near Jamestown in which a pickup was rear-ended by a semitrailer, which then hit another semi and blocked traffic. No injuries were immediately reported.
Officials also closed U.S. Highway 83 from Bismarck to Minot, and Interstate 29 from the Canadian border to the South Dakota border on Sunday.
Jones said the wind chill was expected to plunge as low as 60 degrees below zero Sunday night over parts of the Dakotas, creating life-threatening conditions.
A series of Alberta clippers have swept down from Canada into the Northern Plains in the past couple of weeks, bringing light snow, strong winds and cold temperatures.
“This is definitely the most widespread event we’ve had this year,” Jones said.
Sustained high winds in the two states made it near impossible to measure snowfall amounts, he said.
“It’s blowing around so much it’s hard to get a reading,” Jones said.
High winds and blowing snow also caused conditions that were too wintry for some skiers and snowmobilers.
A popular ski area south of Bismarck and Mandan was closed Sunday. Huff Hills manager Andy Beck said the high winds made it unsafe to operate the facility’s chairlifts, the second time this year that has happened.
“Closing two days in one year is pretty unheard of,” Beck said. “It seems like when we get a little snow it comes with frigid temperatures and high winds. We just can’t win.”
In White, S.D, in the eastern part of the state, the brutal weather and winds kept Julie Westberg from firing up her snowmobile.
“I’m a fair-weather rider,” said Westberg, who is the president of a local snowmobile club.
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