A Winter Storm Sweeps Across Central United States

MINNEAPOLIS — A powerful winter storm wreaked havoc across the central United States on the day after Christmas. From an ice storm in North Dakota that froze windows shut to blizzard conditions in Colorado causing significant airport delays and cancellations, the region faced extreme weather conditions.

According to David Roth, a forecaster at the Weather Prediction Center, the heavy snow conditions in the Plains were expected to gradually improve, but the progress would be slow. Even after the snow ceased, the high winds would continue to create whiteout conditions and near-zero visibility for a considerable part of the day.

One resident of Bismarck, North Dakota, Laura Schmidt-Dockter, had to wear ice spikes on her shoes just to walk outside to the trash can. She described her driveway as a sheer ice sheet. In a video posted on social media, Schmidt-Dockter’s neighbor was seen skating on the street, jokingly remarking about the quality of the ice.

Denver International Airport experienced over 530 flight delays and 23 cancellations due to blizzard conditions on Colorado’s plains. These conditions forced the closure of eastbound Interstate 70 from the outer edge of Denver to Kansas. Travelers were also unable to enter Colorado from Kansas on the westbound highway due to the threat posed by high winds.

Blizzard warnings were in effect on Tuesday for western areas of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas, as well as eastern parts of Colorado and Wyoming. Additionally, ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories remained in place in South Dakota, North Dakota, and northwestern Minnesota.

Tragically, on Christmas Day, a fatal accident occurred in Kansas. The driver of a pickup truck lost control on snow and ice, resulting in a head-on collision with a sport utility vehicle. Evelyn Reece, an 86-year-old woman from Wichita, was killed in the crash, and three others were injured, according to the State Patrol.

The Rosebud Sioux Tribe officials in South Dakota reported on social media that some people had ignored the issued no-travel advisory on Monday evening. Despite the whiteout conditions, these individuals were found on highways and backroads. The tribe’s Office of Emergency Management dispatched multiple resources to rescue a total of 13 people who ignored the advisory, as well as the ranchers who got stuck while trying to reach them. Fortunately, after nine hours, the office provided an update stating that all motorists were safe.

Due to the severe weather, the Badlands National Park and the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site in South Dakota were closed on Tuesday.

On Monday, wind gusts reached as high as 67 miles per hour in Oakes, North Dakota, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Megan Jones.

The ice storm had a significant impact on highways in the eastern parts of North Dakota, with Interstate 29 from Grand Forks to the Canadian border being closed until Tuesday afternoon. Moreover, no travel was advised in south-central regions of the state. Freezing rain began in Fargo on Monday afternoon and expanded westward. Jamestown experienced up to three-quarters of an inch of freezing rain.

The combination of heavy icing and strong winds resulted in downed tree branches and power outages in the southern James River Valley. While no major outages were reported, the weather service cautioned people about the risk of fire caused by candles or space heaters. For those using portable generators, it is recommended to keep them outside and at least 20 feet away from doors, windows, and garages to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

As always, it is crucial for people to exercise caution during power outages and to be mindful of their heat sources, stated Megan Jones from the National Weather Service.

This article contains contributions from Heather Hollingsworth and Jack Dura of The Associated Press.