Winter Storm Response Summary

Winter Wonderland Northeast South Dakota transformed quickly from a beautiful warm autumn to full-on winter in just a matter of hours during blizzard conditions on Tuesday, Nov. 25, and into the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 26. Snow accumulations of 6-8 inches were reported around the area with rain preceding the heavy snow and winds. A winter storm warning was quickly upgraded to a blizzard warning, and many were caught off-guard including area schools. Several area schools released at 12:30 or 12:45 p.m., just as the blizzard warning and no travel advisories went into effect. Due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions and extremely poor visibility, Roberts, Marshall and Grant counties as well as the tribe soon pulled plows off the roads while buses were still transporting children home. There were reports of several buses in the ditch, along with other vehicles, but with the help of numerous neighborly individuals, all eventually made it to safety. I-29 was also shut down, and did not re-open until 7:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Even then, no travel advisories remained in effect until noon on Wednesday due to ice-covered and slick roadways covered in snow with underlying slush and ice. There were also several reports of power outages at times throughout this significant weather event. Pictured above is Wade and Darice Johnson’s backyard 10 miles west of Sisseton and a little north. ~ Courtesy Photo