Nov 08, 2008 - 04:05:57 CST
A blizzard Thursday reminded North Dakotans of what winter used to be.Almost 10 inches of snow fell in Bismarck, and a 35 mph wind reduced visibility to a quarter-mile in some areas.
"Normally you don't get that much wind," said Len Peterson, National Weather Service observation program leader in Bismarck.
The last time Bismarck saw that much snow was in 2006, when it snowed 10 inches on Dec. 30. Prior to that, 15 inches fell in April 1997, and 1996 saw significant snowfall. The whopper of them all was in 1993 with 28 inches of snow.
"I can remember a few 4 to 6 inches, but nothing that drastic," Peterson said.
The storm Thursday caused school cancellations and closed businesses and delayed the opening of other businesses. Some stores sold out of snow removal equipment and winter coats and gloves sold quickly.
"I do want to say that we're open in case someone needs something, like gloves or a coat," said Leanne Klein, manager of TJ Maxx at Pinehurst Shopping Center.
Some employees were able to make it to the store, but she was hesitant to fully open the doors until the snow plows came through. The parking lots were still a mess at 10 a.m., she said, and she was worried about traffic on the snow-packed pavement.
Other Pinehurst stores, like Lowe's, Kohl's and Old Navy, were opened. Kirkwood Mall and Gateway Mall were opened, although some businesses at Gateway opened later.
A few businesses were closed, including some restaurants, city bus service and business offices, including the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce. Some banks opened later.
The snow-packed parking lots came from the 9.4 inches of snow that fell on Bismarck. It was a record snowfall Thursday, with 5.7 inches of snow by midnight, said Peterson. The previous record snowfall for the same time period was 3 inches in 1901.
Snow removal crews in Bismarck and Mandan cleared emergency routes Friday before moving to main routes. Once those were cleared, they started work on residential streets.
It will be cold through the weekend, with daytime temperatures in the 20s and nighttime temperatures in the teens, Peterson said. The next chance of snow is Wednesday.
"Right now, it's only a slight chance of moisture," Peterson said.
The snowfall brings Bismarck to above average precipitation by 1.77 inches for the month and 1.12 inches for the year. Temperatures are below normal for the area by 10 to 15 degrees. Bismarck usually averages 43 for a daytime high and 22 for an overnight low this time of year.
A no travel advisory was lifted and roads were reopened Friday. By noon, Highway 83 between Bismarck and Minot was opened. Many roads were still covered with compacted ice and snow, according to the North Dakota Department of Transportation road map. The map is available at www.dot.nd.gov/roadreport/roadreport/roadreport.asp.
The road closures Thursday caused the Red Cross to set up a shelter at the Bismarck bus depot for stranded travelers. Thirteen people stayed overnight. A bus that was delayed took off by 11 a.m. Friday.
"It was a wonderful group of people and they made the best of the situation they were in," said Jutta Hopkins with the Burleigh County Red Cross. Three people worked the shelter, and the Red Cross asked volunteers to stay home.
"We felt it was unsafe for them to come in," Hopkins said.
The shelter had cots, linens and three meals for the stranded travellers. The shelter closed once the travelers left.
Local hospitals treated people for snow-related injuries. The emergency room at St. Alexius, although quiet, treated two people for injuries from a snowblower accident and a person who slipped on the ice, St. Alexius spokeswoman Jamie Olson said.
Medcenter One saw 15 people for a variety of snow-related issues, including chest pain from shoveling, automobile accidents and lacerations, Medcenter One spokeswoman Kim Long said. It was the primary cause of emergency room visits at Medcenter Thursday, she said. Medcenter closed its Mandan Family Clinic North and Mandan Family Clinic East. Appointments will be rescheduled.
The storm also forced the cancellation of two mobile blood drives Thursday and one Friday at United Blood Services, 517 S. Seventh St. The center in Bismarck was working to assist the blood center in Rapid City, S.D., because of snow there. To make up for the lost donation times, the blood service center is expanding hours Saturday.
The United Blood Services Center will be opened 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and have extra staff to help with donations. A lost day for donation affects the availability of blood, center director Andrea Hatle said.
"It severely affected donations," she said.
People also had difficulty getting to appointments Friday, because of road conditions.
Bismarck Police Lt. Randy Ziegler said officers responded to 35 wrecks on Thursday. By 1:45 p.m. Friday, things had slowed down and only five wrecks had been reported since midnight.
At the Bismarck Municipal Airport, the runways were cleared and few flights were cancelled, said Miles Weaver with the airport administration. An Allegiant Air flight from Las Vegas was cancelled and rescheduled to come in today. Each airline has policies for cancelling flights, he said.
(Reporters Crystal Reid, Jenny Michael and LeAnn Eckroth contributed to this story.)
Snowfall
The snowstorm that blanketed North Dakota left 2 to 7 inches of snow in most areas. Some areas, however, exceeded 10 inches.
Among the snowfall reports with the National Weather Service in Bismarck:
Towner: 15 inches
Velva: 13 inches
Drake: 12 inches
Balfour: 12 inches
Logan: 12 inches
Rugby: 101/2 inches
Minot: 9.5 inches
Bismarck: 9.4 inches
Beulah: 9.4 inches
Washburn: 9 inches
Tuttle: 8 inches
Dickinson: 4 inches
Jamestown: 2 inches
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