Blizzard conditions threaten to disrupt travel across US northern plains

NEW YORK – More than 760,000 people in the northern US Great Plains were under a blizzard warning on Dec 25, as heavy snow and powerful winds pounded the region, creating treacherous road conditions that could last through Dec 26.

Central South Dakota, where more than 30cm of snow was possible, was expected to bear the brunt of the storm.

Hazardous conditions were also forecast across portions of east-central and south-eastern South Dakota, southern North Dakota and Nebraska, said Mr Kyle Weisser, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Parts of South Dakota were expected to receive up to 33cm of snow, with wind gusts as high as 86kmh, according to the Weather Service.

As at Dec 25 evening, parts of south-eastern South Dakota had received up to 15cm of snow, and more was expected to fall overnight, said Mr Ashton Robinson Cook, a meteorologist with the weather service.

Parts of central and north-eastern Nebraska, including Martinsburg, Lincoln and Central City, had also received about 15cm of snow by Dec 25 evening, though complete snowfall totals were not expected until Dec 26 morning for the area, Mr Cook said.

“Travel could be very difficult to impossible,” meteorologists warned in an advisory, noting that “widespread blowing snow” could significantly reduce visibility.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation said in a news release that conditions were “approaching near zero visibility” on roads covered in snow and ice on Dec 25 afternoon, prompting officials to close parts of Interstate 90 through Dec 26 morning.

An accident involving several jackknifed tractor-trailers forced the closure of a section of eastbound Interstate 80 near York, Nebraska, to close for about three hours on Dec 25 afternoon, the Nebraska State Patrol said.

There were no injuries in the accident, which was partly caused by blowing snow and slick road conditions, Mr Cody Thomas, a spokesperson for the Nebraska State Patrol, said in a statement.

Mr Thomas said that there had been about 60 “weather-related incidents” on I-80 in Nebraska on Dec 25, mostly between Lincoln and North Platte.

“We’re urging all travellers to assess whether or not their travel is absolutely necessary before hitting the road,” he said.

Forecasters warned that power outages were possible, particularly in South Dakota, as strong winds could damage trees and knock down power lines. On Dec 25 night, though, there were no reports of widespread power outages.

The heaviest snowfall in central South Dakota was expected from 2pm to 10pm local time, the weather service said.

Strong winds and snow could linger into the night, especially in the central part of the state, forecasters said. A blizzard warning was in effect through late Dec 26 night.

North Dakota and Nebraska will get more freezing rain, causing slick conditions, meteorologists said.

Mr Cook, of the weather service, said that Fargo, North Dakota, had about a 0.6cm of ice accumulation as at early Dec 25 afternoon, but that amount was likely to increase through the evening as more rain pelted the city of about 120,000 residents.

Blizzard conditions were also expected in northern and north-western Kansas until early Dec 27 morning, as well as in north-eastern Colorado through Dec 25 night, according to the weather service.

Holiday travellers who had expected to hit the road on Dec 25 afternoon might want to adjust their plans, Mr Weisser said earlier.

“Depending on which direction you’re going, if you haven’t left yet, you might want to wait until tomorrow,” he said.

Temperatures were expected to begin rising on Dec 25 evening in eastern South Dakota and in parts of Minnesota and Iowa, and driving conditions will improve in those areas, Mr Weisser said. Strong winds, however, could still be an issue for drivers, he said.

“Even if there’s not a lot of falling snow, you can still have significantly reduced visibility if the wind is blowing 30 to 40 miles an hour (48kmh to 64kmh),” he said.

The impact on air travel appeared to be relatively modest at the outset of the storm. About 170 flights within, into or out of the United States were cancelled as at Dec 25 night, according to FlightAware.

About 2,720 flights across the country were delayed. Sioux Falls Regional Airport encouraged travellers to check with their airline for word of any cancellations or delays. NYTIMES