More than a million people in the Northern and Central Plains remained under blizzard or ice storm warnings early Tuesday, as heavy snow, freezing rain and powerful winds created dangerous road conditions that forecasters said could last until early Wednesday.
By Tuesday morning, parts of Nebraska and South Dakota had recorded about four inches of snow, although strong winds prevented accurate readings, said Amanda Viken, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in North Platte, Nebraska. Some cities in southeastern South Dakota had has received up to a foot of snow since Mondayaccording to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Up to four inches of additional snow is expected through Tuesday evening in western South Dakota, western Nebraska, far eastern Wyoming and northeastern Colorado. The National Weather Service reported this. In areas where snowfall has stopped or slowed, freezing temperatures and strong winds could cause icy roads and whiteout conditions throughout the day, forecasters said.
“It’s quite slippery and the visibility restrictions we’re seeing with this strong wind aren’t helping,” Ms Viken said.
A blizzard warning affects more than 600,000 people in parts of five states Tuesday — Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming — would be in effect until the early hours of Wednesday morning in parts of the region, The meteorological service reported this. A storm is at blizzard when it contains large amounts of snow, winds greater than 35 miles per hour and visibility less than a quarter mile for at least three hours.
More than half a million people were affected by an ice storm early Tuesday in the Dakotas and a slice of western Minnesota. The Weather Service he warned in an advisory that the journey could be “very difficult” and that the snow had reduced visibility.
The South Dakota Department of Transportation he said in a press release that conditions were “approaching near-zero visibility” on snow- and ice-covered roads Monday afternoon, prompting officials to close parts of Interstate 90 through Tuesday morning.
A crash involving several jacked-up tractor-trailers forced a section of eastbound Interstate 80 near York, Nebraska, to close for about three hours Monday afternoon, Nebraska State Police said. There were no injuries in the crash, which was partly caused by snow and slippery road conditions, Cody Thomas, spokesman for the Nebraska State Patrol, said in a statement.
Mr. Thomas said there were about 60 “weather-related crashes” on Interstate 80 in Nebraska on Monday, mostly between Lincoln and North Platte.
“We urge all travelers to consider whether or not their travel is absolutely necessary before travelling,” he said.
Forecasters warned that power outages were possible, particularly in South Dakota, as strong winds could damage trees and down power lines. As of early Tuesday, however, there had been no reports of widespread power outages, according to PowerOutage.uswhich tracks the utilities sector.
At the onset of the storm, the impact on air travel appeared to be relatively modest. According to data as of Monday evening, approximately 170 flights within, in or out of the United States have been canceled FlightAware. Around 2,720 flights across the country were delayed.
Vacation travelers planning to hit the road Tuesday should use caution on the road, said Matthew Meyers, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Sioux Falls, SD. In the southeastern part of the state, temperatures are expected to remain below freezing, causing much of the rain that fell overnight to refreeze.
“If they can, they should proceed calmly,” he said. “It will be smooth sailing out there.”
Eduardo Medina contributed to the reporting.
