Snow, ice and strong winds create dangerous conditions in the central-western United States

A fast-moving winter storm brought snow, ice, high winds and bitter cold to much of the American Midwest, snarling traffic in Minnesota and forcing North Dakota authorities to close an interstate highway.

The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for large areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas, where some interstate highways were snow-covered and dangerous.

Several minor crashes and slides were reported, some causing injuries. There were no immediate reports of deaths.

Up to 7 inches of snow was possible in Minnesota, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, where the Thursday morning rush hour slowed and several accidents were reported as the snowfall intensified.

North Dakota was getting the worst of it. Stormy winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour were common from Wednesday night to Thursday morning. Snow totals were mostly less than 6 inches, not much by North Dakota standards, but enough to make roads dangerous.

The freezing rain added to the slipperiness. The North Dakota Highway Patrol issued a “do not travel advisory” urging motorists to stay off the roads.

“Oversized loads are not allowed in the Northwest Region until further notice,” the patrol posted on Facebook.

A 50-mile stretch of Interstate 94 in North Dakota, beginning at the Montana state line, was closed for about 90 minutes Thursday morning when snow and ice made the road virtually impassable, and eventually blocked. by trucks.

“It’s a section of the Badlands that goes through that area, so it’s quite hilly,” said Highway Patrol Sergeant Coby Hubble. “We had commercial vehicles that couldn’t get through that area and got stuck.”

Snowfall of 5 to 7 inches was expected in parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Minnesota meteorologists predicted gusty winds throughout the day, creating the potential for blizzard conditions.

Phil Helfrich was filling up his car in Bismarck in anticipation of a trip to Denver on Friday to see his grandchildren. The weather, he said, wouldn’t stop him, noting that his car was equipped with snow tires. He also packed a winter survival kit.

“I’m excited and so are my grandchildren,” Helfrich said.

In a way, it was about time for snow to fall in that area. As of this week, less than 8 centimeters of snow had fallen in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, which typically receive more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow by mid-December.

It remains to be seen if there will be snow at Christmas. The holiday forecast calls for no snow for much of the upper Midwest, with temperatures rising above freezing early next week.

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