Blizzard Shuts Down I-25 and I-90 in Wyoming, South Dakota

By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist

October 4,2013; 9:29PM,EDT

 

 

Blizzard conditions will continue to affect eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska through Saturday morning, shutting down travel. In some areas, the snow will fall at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
As of Friday evening, 37 inches of snow had already fallen in Lead, S.D., with more still to fall, according to a NWS observer report.
A storm responsible for bringing record rainfall to parts of the Northwest last weekend will blast areas from the Rockies to the Plains and Midwest with snow, wind, rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes through Saturday.

@HenryMargusity: "Fall blizzard for parts of western South Dakota, Wyoming and western Nebraska. Over a foot of snow with winds over 40 mph." Additional Relevant Tweets and Social Media Reaction

Portions of I-25 and I-90, as well as U.S. routes 14, 16 and 20 in central and eastern Wyoming, have been closed Friday due to hazardous conditions, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
No travel is advised along I-90 in South Dakota between exits 46 and 55 until the midday hours Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
Difficult travel is occurring along much of I-80 and I-25 in Wyoming and I-90 in western South Dakota with snow- and slush-covered roads and poor visibility.
Rapidly accumulating snow, blowing and drifting snow and whiteouts may cause some ill-prepared motorists to get stuck or become disoriented. The storm will remain intense enough to close additional roadways for a time in Wyoming, as well as in South Dakota and Nebraska.
The storm has caused 470 flight delays at Denver International Airport, according to Flightstats.com.
Wind gusts of 40 to 70 mph, both with and without heavy snow, can also down trees and power lines.
On Friday evening heavy snow fell in Reeder, N.D., downing trees and knocking out the town's power, according to an NWS observer.
Later in the evening, Meade County, S.D., experienced a 71 mph non-thunderstorm wind gust, recorded by ASOS.

Cities being affected by the wind-driven snowstorm through Saturday morning include Rapid City, S.D.; Chadron, Neb.; and Cheyenne and Casper, Wyo.
As of Friday afternoon, more than 12 inches of heavy snow fell in downtown Gillette, Wyo., and 13 inches of heavy snow fell 75 miles north of Rapid City, S.D., in Butte County, according to emergency management and NWS spotter reports.
A push of cold air from Canada colliding with warmth and moisture will bring wind-driven snow to the Wyoming Rockies and neighboring High Plains to the east, followed by rain changing to snow farther south Friday night into Saturday morning over the central parts of South Dakota and Nebraska.
The snowstorm was reaching some areas hit by heavy snow last week, and some locations hit by flooding earlier during September. Thus far the storm has dropped from 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 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 is not expected on most road surfaces.

Across Colorado, some ski resorts are taking advantage of the cool weather and are already making snow. In preparation for the 2013-2014 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).
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Across southeastern Nebraska, Iowa and southern Wisconsin, the air will be too warm for snow, but powerful thunderstorms are a concern. Gusty winds will also be a factor.
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 late in the week.
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.