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Storm Bringing ‘Historic’ Snowfall to Northern Plains Storm Bringing ‘Historic’ Snowfall to Northern Plains
(about 1 hour later)
An unusually early snowstorm is crippling parts of the Northern Plains, bringing heavy gusts of wet snow and plummeting temperatures across the central United States, according to the National Weather Service. An unusually early snowstorm crippled parts of the Northern Plains on Friday, bringing heavy gusts of wet snow and plummeting temperatures across the central United States, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters were calling the expected October snowfall across parts of North Dakota “historic,” and predicted that the storm could deliver as much as three feet of snow to parts of north central North Dakota, where blizzard warnings were in effect.Forecasters were calling the expected October snowfall across parts of North Dakota “historic,” and predicted that the storm could deliver as much as three feet of snow to parts of north central North Dakota, where blizzard warnings were in effect.
On Friday morning, as areas of the state were blanketed in more than a foot of snow, Amanda Lee, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D., said winds were gusting at about 40 to 45 miles per hour, and were expected to increase throughout the day. By Friday evening, Langdon, N.D., a city about 120 miles northwest of Grand Forks, had seen an accumulation of 27 inches, Greg Gust, a warning coordination meteorologist at the Weather Service in Grand Forks, said. The previous record snow total over more than one day for the city was 22.5 inches, set on April 8, 1997.
There had not yet been any reports of power outages, she said, but it was “highly possible” because leaves were still clinging to the trees. The combination of leaves on the trees, heavy, wet snow and winds gusting up to 50 miles per hour in some places prompted concerns about power failures. But by Friday evening only 356 customers in the state were reported without electricity, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.
The storm, which stretched about 300 miles as of Friday evening — between Aberdeen, S.D., to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and about 230 miles east of Minot, N.D., into the northwestern part of Minnesota — was also packing heavy moisture, which will make snow removal challenging. Blizzard warnings were in effect through early Saturday afternoon for portions of north-central North Dakota. Dozens of schools and businesses in the state were closed on Friday.
“We get snow here,” said Ms. Lee. But, “we don’t usually talk in feet of snow.” As the snow and winds reduced visibility to near zero, and icy roads became treacherous for drivers, the North Dakota Department of Transportation issued a “no travel” advisory Friday for the central and northeastern portions of the state.
Another meteorologist for the service said Thursday that it was “the most difficult snow forecast and highest snowfall forecast of my 30 year career.”
Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota said that the state’s emergency operations plan had been activated and that state agencies, as well as the National Guard, were standing by.Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota said that the state’s emergency operations plan had been activated and that state agencies, as well as the National Guard, were standing by.
“The extraordinary intensity of this early winter storm threatens to test the limits of local response capabilities across a large portion of our state,” Mr. Burgum said in a statement. “We’re committed to a whole-of-government approach to protect human life and property and ensure our citizens have the resources necessary to respond and recover from this crippling event.”“The extraordinary intensity of this early winter storm threatens to test the limits of local response capabilities across a large portion of our state,” Mr. Burgum said in a statement. “We’re committed to a whole-of-government approach to protect human life and property and ensure our citizens have the resources necessary to respond and recover from this crippling event.”
The large storm is mixing with an “anomalously cold air mass,” which has caused temperatures to drop across the central part of the country, according to the Weather Service, which predicted “widespread” record lows from the Southern and Central Plains to the Great Basin. The storm stretched about 300 miles — between Aberdeen, S.D., and Winnipeg, Manitoba, and about 230 miles east of Minot, N.D., into the northwestern part of Minnesota.
Ahead of Denver’s first snowfall of the season, the city had been basking in 83-degree weather. But in the span of about 30 hours the temperature dropped 70 degrees, a fluctuation that was the city’s second-largest since 1872, according to Jim Kalina, a meteorologist with the service in Denver. Aaron Dye, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Aberdeen, said Eureka, a city in the northern part of South Dakota, had recorded 11.6 inches. Mr. Dye said that total was a preliminary figure and likely to rise. “I’m sure we’ll be searching through the records tomorrow to see if any records were set once this event is over,” he said.
The cold front howled through with 50- to 60-mile-per-hour winds. Some parts of Montana reported up to 16 inches of snow, according to the service.
The storm mixed with an “anomalously cold air mass,” which caused temperatures to drop across the central part of the country, according to the Weather Service, which predicted “widespread” record lows from the Southern and Central Plains to the Great Basin.
Ahead of Denver’s first snowfall of the season, the city had been basking in 83-degree weather. But in the span of about 30 hours, the temperature dropped 70 degrees, a fluctuation that was the city’s second largest since 1872, according to Jim Kalina, a meteorologist with the service in Denver.
The cold front howled through with 50- to 60-m.p.h. winds.
“You could feel it,” Mr. Kalina said.“You could feel it,” Mr. Kalina said.
Billings, Mont., also felt the quick freeze, and some parts of the state reported up to 16 inches of snow, according to the Weather Service. Governor Burgum said North Dakota was also “exploring all possible means to assist the agricultural community,” which was already facing a challenging season because of an “unusually wet late summer and early fall” that caused disease and prevented farmers from harvesting crops.
On Friday, portions of north-central North Dakota braced for the brunt, where blizzard warnings went into effect through early Saturday afternoon.
Twenty-seven inches of snow were recorded in Langdon, N.D., according to the Weather Service in Grand Forks.
As heavy snow and high winds reduced visibility to near zero, and icy roads became treacherous for drivers, the North Dakota Department of Transportation issued a “no travel” advisory Friday morning to the central region and northeastern portions of the state.
Dozens of schools and businesses in the state were also closed.
Governor Burgum said the state was also “exploring all possible means to assist the agricultural community,” which was already facing a challenging season because of an “unusually wet late summer and early fall” that caused disease and prevented farmers from harvesting crops.
Erika Kenner, a rancher in Leeds, N.D., told The Associated Press she felt helpless because the blowing, drifting snow prevented her from checking on her family’s herd of cows.Erika Kenner, a rancher in Leeds, N.D., told The Associated Press she felt helpless because the blowing, drifting snow prevented her from checking on her family’s herd of cows.
“I just hear the wind howling and think of those poor cows out there,” she said. “Cattle are tough but this kind of weather just wears on them.” “I just hear the wind howling and think of those poor cows out there,” she said. “Cattle are tough, but this kind of weather just wears on them.”
Christopher Mele contributed reporting.