Second Blizzard of Season Strikes Bismarck, North Dakota

Dateline: Dec. 14, 9:30 a.m., Bismarck, North Dakota. National Weather Service (NWS) reports that an arctic front moved into North Dakota on Saturday, Dec. 13. The current temperature in Bismarck is -11 degrees, with a high of -6 expected today. Current winds are 27 mph, gusting to 35 mph, with the occasional gust as high as -50, causing the current windchill of -27 degrees. The blizzard and windchill warning from the NWS that began Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. remains in effect until midnight tonight. The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDOT) advises NO TRAVEL for the entire state of North Dakota, with the exception of the extreme western portion of the state, where emergency travel only is still advised. Windchills of -30 and colder can cause exposed skin to freeze within 5 to 10 minutes; windchills of -40 will cause exposed skin to freeze in 5 minutes, and lung tissue to freeze in about that same amount of time.

Snowfall began before 4:00 p.m. Saturday but remained light until about 5:00 p.m. By 7:00 p.m. the NDOT advised emergency travel only in the Bismarck area. The snow increased overnight, and the 2-4 inches predicted reached 11.7 inches by 9:00 a.m. Sunday. Snow is expected to continue through the day in the Bismarck area, although the heaviest snowfall has moved to the eastern part of the state. In my home in central Bismarck, the snow was about 6 inches deep at 2:30 a.m. Sunday; the actual depth at my home by 9:30 was impossible to estimate because of blowing and drifting snow, but it was about 2 feet across the top of my driveway. Only major routes were being kept clear by morning; side streets and residential streets are largely blocked with snow.

Road conditions as ot 9:04 a.m. from the NDOT were: Major routes; I-29 closed from the South Dakota border to the Manitoba border, with the exception of a small stretch between the 52nd Ave. exit in Fargo to the Cass County interchange in Fargo, where travel is possible but not advised. I-94 is closed from Jamestown (east of Bismarck) to the Minnesota State Line. No travel is advised from Hebron (west of Bismarck) to Jamestown. From Hebron to the Montana line, expect scattered snow and blowing snow on I-94.

US Highway 2 across the northern part of the state: No travel advised from Berwick to Grand Forks (on I-29); find scattered snow conditions from the Montana state line to Williston , ND, and from the White Earth Rest Area to Berwick, ND. Scattered snow drifts cause hazardous driving conditions from Wiilliston to the White Earth rest area. US Highway 12 in western ND has scattered snow from the Montana line to the South Dakota State Line. US 83 has no travel advised from the South Dakota line to I-94, and from Bismarck to Underwood,with scattered snow from the junction of Highway 200 to the Canadian border. North Dakota highway 5 is closed from Joliette to the Minnesota state line; no travel is advised from Rock Lake to Clyde, from the W. Junction of highway 20 to the Osnabruck Corner turnoff, and from 10 miles east of Langdon to to Hamilton. Scattered snow is reported from the Montana line to Lignite, Junction 52 to the Renville Corner, and East Junction 83 to Dunseith.

Conditions overnight in Bismarck included subzero temperatures with dangerously cold windchills, and winds from 28 to 35 mph gusting to as high as 50 mph. Snow fell throughout the night, blocking roads and causing power to go out in some areas of town. Currently, only the emergency routes in the city have been partially cleared, with one lane of traffic only. Side roads are still not cleared, and with nearly a foot of snow, drifted to 5 feet and higher, travel in the city is restricted to emergency travel only. This warning will continue throughout the day, as high winds, snowfall, and dangerously cold conditions remain.

(Information provided from the National Weather Service, the North Dakota Department of Transportaion, and the North Dakota Emergency Services)