Winter Storm Europa Leaves Behind Hundreds of Miles of Interstate Closures In Northern Plains, Upper Midwest

Pam Wright
Published: December 26,2016

Nightmarish travel conditions continued Monday as Winter Storm Europa marched across the northern United States. The storm delivered blizzard conditions to much of the northern Plains/upper Midwest on Sunday.

The storm caused widespread power outages in the Dakotas, Nebraska and western Iowa, that have since been mostly restored.

 

Here's the latest on Winter Storm Europa in each state:

NEBRASKA

High winds, with gusts of up to 70 mph, were cited for hundreds of power outages in central and eastern portions of the state, according to the Associated Press. Most of the outages had been restored by Monday.

NORTH DAKOTA

Two hundred and forty miles of interstate 94 remained closed Sunday night, from the Montana border to Jamestown, North Dakota, according to the Associated Press. U.S. Highway 83 between Bismarck and Minot was also closed by the North Dakota Transportation Department as of Sunday night, as were U.S. Highways 2, 52 and 281 because of snow, ice and "near zero visibility."
North Dakota officials re-opened Interstate 94 Monday from the Montana border to Dickinson and from Jamestown to Fargo, but motorists were still advised not to travel. The interstate from Dickinson to Fargo remained closed. Officials also re-opened U.S. Highway 2 from Leeds to Grand Forks.
(MORE: Winter Storm Europa Updates)
Severe whiteout conditions led to the closure Monday of Minot International Airport. The facility wasn't expected to reopen until 3 a.m. Tuesday. Cancellations of flights have also been reported in airports serving Fargo and Bismarck.

The city of Bismarck issued a snow emergency as of 6 p.m. Sunday night, meaning all vehicles must be removed from designated snow emergency routes so the city can plow overnight, My ND Now reports.

SOUTH DAKOTA

The South Dakota Department of Transportation closed more than 200 miles of Interstate 90 in both directions from the Wyoming border to Chamberlain, South Dakota, on Sunday. By Monday afternoon, the interstate was reopened although authorities warned of lingering patches of ice on the highway.
The South Dakota Rural Electric Association said more than 19,000 of its customers were without power Monday morning. It could be several days before power is restored in all areas, according to the Associated Press.
Icy conditions in Aberdeen prompted the Brown County Sheriff's Office to issue a no travel advisory. The city is also under a weather service flash flood warning after rain and snowmelt flooded major intersections in the city.

WISCONSIN

Icy conditions caused travel headaches for one NFL team as a big weekend of football got underway.
The Minnesota Vikings' plane slid off a runway at Appleton International Airport in Wisconsin Saturday, but no injuries were reported from the incident and all of the plane's passengers were safely rescued by emergency personnel.

MINNESOTA

Gusty winds caused flight delays at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Monday. Around 250 flights were delayed while more than 50 had been canceled as of noon on Monday, according to the Associated Press. Incoming and departing flights faced major delays as the airport was down to one runway early Monday.

ARIZONA

Weather caused serious travel problems in Arizona Saturday. Parts of Interstate 40 and other highways in northern Arizona's high country were closed Saturday afternoon due to weather and multiple crashes, according to the Associated Press. I-40 was closed in both directions on a 49-mile stretch between Ash Fork and Flagstaff. A crash involving two semi-trucks on I-40 impacted westbound traffic in Flagstaff, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
About 50 vehicles blocked I-17 north of State Route 179 when multiple vehicles slid off the roadway and several became stuck, according to the Arizona DOT.  Parts of I-17 closed in both directions.
There were also collisions and closures on State Routes 89, 89A, 87, 238 and 64. State Route 238 was closed between Gila Bend and Maricopa due to flooding from heavy rainfall. Part of the roadway will remain closed overnight.
MORE: Winter Storm Europa December 2016