Page 2 - AT

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 28 december 2018

Storm whips up blizzards, dumps snow in Dakotas, Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Post- sued a no-travel advisory much of the central and
holiday travelers were find- for the eastern part of the northern areas of the state
ing driving difficult as a win- state due to icy roads and are completely covered
ter storm dumped heavy reduced visibility. Blustery with ice and snow, with
snow and whipped up winds were causing bliz- windy conditions causing
gusty winds across parts of zard conditions in James- even more travel issues.
the Dakotas and Minneso- town, North Dakota, and The Minnesota Depart-
ta on Thursday. in northern South Dakota, ment of Transportation said
Up to 11 inches (28 centi- where transportation offi- it might be better to wait
meters) of snow had fallen cials reported visibility was for conditions to improve if
in the Moorhead-Alexan- down to a quarter-mile travel isn’t necessary.
dria area of western Min- along a stretch of Highway The weather service said
nesota by mid-afternoon 10. an estimated 18 inches of
Thursday, and it was still Bus service for Fargo, North snow had fallen by early
snowing, said meteorolo- Dakota, and neighboring Thursday afternoon near
gist Tyler Hasenstein of the Moorhead, Minnesota, was Finland on Minnesota’s
Twin Cities National Weath- suspended Thursday after- North Shore.
er Service. noon because of worsen- The North Dakota Highway
The line of snow ended just ing road conditions. Ser- Patrol issued a travel alert
northwest of the Twin Cities vice is expected to resume for parts of North Dakota
around Elk River, Hasenstein Errol Behm uses a scarf to shield his face from the blow-back of Friday with a normal sched- including Bismarck and
said. The snowfall peaked snow caused by the gusty winds as he clears a sidewalk with ule. Devils Lake due to whiteout
around 3 inches (8 centi- a snow blower near Fourth Street Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, in The National Weather Ser- conditions.
meters) at the Minneapolis Bismarck, N.D. vice issued blizzard warn- Eastern North Dakota was
airport, then rain starting Associated Press ings for central South Da- expected to deal with
early Thursday melted the snowpack. Officials in North Dakota is- kota, eastern North Dakota winds gusting up to 50 mph,
and western Minnesota. creating blizzard conditions
The storm was expected to mainly in the Red River Val-
drop more than a foot of ley.
snow in the region before University campuses, court-
ending Friday. houses and municipal
The Minnesota State Patrol buildings across North Da-
tweeted that road condi- kota are among the places
tions are poor across much closed on Thursday, includ-
of western Minnesota. ing the University of North
Transportation officials said Dakota campus in Grand
road conditions across Forks.q