A major blizzard-fueling winter storm is sweeping across the Plains and upper Midwest with heavy snow, freezing rain, and strong winds, creating dangerous travel conditions during the busy holiday week.
According to the National Weather Service, blizzards with wind gusts up to 75 mph on Tuesday could topple trees and power lines. Whiteout conditions could make travel “difficult to near impossible.” Blizzards occur when blowing snow and sustained strong winds combine for at least three hours, reducing visibility to a quarter-mile or less.
The weather service has issued blizzard warnings for parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming on Tuesday. Widespread travel disruptions are expected across the region, and residents are being cautioned to avoid travel. If they must be on the road, they are advised to bring survival kits and to stay in their vehicles in case they get stranded.
The storm began impacting the region on Monday, with driving conditions rapidly deteriorating across the state of Nebraska. Cars were colliding and sliding off roads, and tractor-trailers jackknifed and got stuck in certain areas.
The heaviest snowfall was seen on Monday across the border of the Dakotas, with snowfall weakening in some areas on Monday afternoon but visibility dropping as snow continued to blow over roadways. The South Dakota Department of Transportation closed a more than 200-mile stretch of I-90 in both directions on Monday night.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol reported multiple crashes in Watertown as ice and snow blanketed roadways, urging residents to slow down, avoid using cruise control, and always wear a seatbelt. The weather service warned that snowfall of 1-2 inches per hour was possible in some areas, with more than 12 inches likely to have fallen from south-central South Dakota into northern Nebraska by the storm’s end.
In parts of the northern Plains, a mix of sleet and freezing rain could fuel scattered power outages and make for dangerously icy roads and sidewalks. The storm is expected to gradually weaken by Tuesday night, but a wintry mix will likely persist into Wednesday across portions of the northern Plains and upper Midwest.