By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist
October 5,2013; 11:14AM,EDT
Blizzard conditions blasted through Wyoming, western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska on Friday through Saturday morning, shutting down travel. In some areas, the snow fell at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
As of midday Saturday, a trained spotter reported 48 inches of snow near Deadwood, S.D.
A storm responsible for bringing record rainfall to parts of the Northwest last weekend blasted areas from the Rockies to the Plains and Midwest with snow, wind, rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes through early Saturday. Another round of severe storms is expected later on Saturday from Chicago to Little Rock.
No travel is advised along I-90 in South Dakota between exits 46 and 55 until the midday hours on Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
Some snow will continue to fall on Saturday adding to the high amounts that accumulated the past couple of days. Travel will continue to be very difficult until crews are able to clear the roads and the snow begins to melt.
The storm caused 470 flight delays at Denver International Airport, according to Flightstats.com.
Blowing and drifting snow will continue to be a problem on Saturday as winds remain strong across the region. Heavy snow on power lines combined with the wind could lead to more power outages throughout the day.
On Friday evening, heavy snow fell in Reeder, N.D., downing trees and knocking out the town's power, according to an NWS observer.
Meade County, S.D., also experienced a 71-mph non-thunderstorm wind gust on Friday evening, recorded by ASOS.
Many ingredients came together for this powerful storm. A push of cold air from Canada colliding with warmth and moisture brought wind-driven snow to the Wyoming Rockies and neighboring High Plains to the east.
The snowstorm reached some areas hit by heavy snow last week, and some locations hit by flooding earlier during September. The storm dropped 1 to 3 feet of snow on some of the mountains in southwestern Montana and 6 to 12 inches of snow on the mountains of northern Colorado.
The storm strengthened east of the Rockies throughout the day on Friday.
Blizzard conditions centered on the Black Hills of South Dakota and eastern Wyoming.
Accumulating snow reached the Denver, Colo., suburbs. Within the city, snow was falling, but accumulation was little to none.
Across Colorado, some ski resorts took advantage of the cool weather and started making snow. In preparation for the 2013-14 ski season, Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area plan to make snow for as long as conditions allow, according to a press release by Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA).
RELATED:
Winter/Severe Weather Watches and Warnings
Tornado Threat Wisconsin to Oklahoma
Eastern Wyoming/Western Nebraska Interactive Weather Radar
As high pressure builds in the wake of the storm over the West, a Santa Ana event could bring damaging winds and raise the risk of wildfires in Southern California through Saturday.
Over the weekend the storm will move away from west to east, temperatures will rebound and much of the snow at lower elevations will melt.
Highs are forecast to reach the 70s in Denver and the 60s in Casper and Rapid City by early next week.
Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed content to this story.
Blizzard in Western South Dakota. This is Lead SD. Over 2 feet of snow is possible with wind gusts 50-60 mph! pic.twitter.com/LgALOAprNv
No Liberals
NoLiberals
Blizard hitting eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska right now, probably due to "global warming!"
WREG News Channel 3
3onyourside
On #WREG at 4:30: SCS fall break is next week, and Tropical Storm Karen might affect travel plans for some Mid-Southerners.
nbc15_madison
nbc15_madison
Check out this pic from the blizzard in South Dakota. Thankfully there's no snow in the southern WI forecast! #NBC15 pic.twitter.com/ZXQPsXSZKM
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