Nightmarish travel conditions were well underway Sunday night as Winter Storm Europa trekked into the northern Plains/upper Midwest.
Winter Storm Europa was set to deliver a crippling blow of heavy snow, ice and blizzard conditions to the region Sunday night into Monday.
“Conditions
in the Dakotas will rapidly go downhill through the overnight hours,"
said weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Belles. "More than a foot of
snow will fall in northern North Dakota. Winds will climb to 40-60 mph
creating blizzard conditions for hours overnight. Travel in parts of the
eastern Dakotas will be impossible. Farther east and south, ice
accumulations of up to 0.5 inches will glaze roads bring down trees and
power lines further hampering travel in the Upper Midwest.”
Hundreds of miles of interstate have been closed across the Dakotas as of Sunday night.
Here's the latest on Winter Storm Europa in each state:
(MORE: Check the Forecast for Winter Storm Europa)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.In fact, much of the state was under a no travel advisory from the North Dakota Transportation Department, according to KFYRTV.COM.
The city of Bismarck also issued a snow emergency as of 6:00 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. There was no word on when the stretch of interstate would reopen.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.
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.
Mile marker 102 in Peach Springs Arizona on Route 66. Slow down folks! We could be in for a good one today @ArizonaDOT
IDAHO
In Idaho, a young boy was critically injured after he was run over by a pickup truck at a construction site while playing in the snow Friday, according to Idaho Statesman. The boy was partially buried in the freshly fallen snow when the incident occurred.A 17-year-old girl was hit by a semi-truck Saturday morning after losing control of her vehicle on I-90, according to The Spokesman-Review. She was taken to the hospital for treatment.
CALIFORNIA
Winter Storm Europa managed to close some roadways in California on Saturday.The California Highway Patrol said the I-5 northbound to the south of Parker Road in the Grapevine area was closed at one point due to weather restrictions. While the stretch of interstate on I-5 was shut down, other routes initially impacted by winter weather that were closed have been opened as of Saturday morning.
A few flights were canceled into and out of Portland International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Friday, according to FlightAware.
OREGON
Europa on Friday prompted road closures across the state of Oregon, with I-84 closed westbound between Ontario and Baker City. However, the Oregon Department of Transportation said I-84 is now completely open between Pendleton and Ontario.Many across the state of Washington faced hazardous travel conditions on Friday with at least one major pileup reported in Spokane.
KHQ Local News in Spokane reported that as many as 20 cars and a bus were piled up on a stalled road. No injuries were reported from the incident.
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