The December with the most snow also seems to be the December with the most wrecks.

According to Bismarck police dispatch reports from December in 2006, 2007 and 2008, officers have been called to about 200 more wrecks this month than in December 2006 or December 2007.

By 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, 12 wrecks were reported to the Bismarck Police Department, following several inches of snow that fell Monday night and Tuesday.

In terms of snowfall, the past two Decembers have been considerably milder than the one wrapping up today. The police department also has dealt with considerably fewer wrecks in the previous Decembers.

From Dec. 1, 2006, to Dec. 30, 2006, police were called to 322 wrecks. From Dec. 1, 2007, to Dec. 30, 2007, police were called to 361 wrecks.

December 2008 easily topples those years, even with almost 10 hours remaining from statistics through Dec. 30. By 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Bismarck police had responded to 590 wrecks for the month.

Bismarck Police Sgt. Dwight Offerman said such winters are a drag on resources, with each taking a minimum of 20 minutes to complete, and longer for wrecks requiring tow trucks or other efforts. Many times, officers aren't able to respond to every accident on a busy day. Even putting more officers on the streets only helps so much, Offerman said.

"We've only got so many cars,"he said.

Offerman said a large number of wrecks typically are reported on the day of the first big snowfall of the winter. After that, people seem to reclaim their winter driving skills, resulting in fewer wrecks. During the past few winters, less snowfall has meant less worrying about driving conditions, he said.

People usually adjust their driving when the ground stays covered with snow, but this year seems to be different, he said.

The highest number of wrecks so far for this December occurred on Dec. 19, when 48 accident calls came in to the Bismarck Police Department. According to the National Weather Service, 2.1 inches of snow fell that day. The next highest total, 39, occurred on Dec. 22 and 23, when 2.6 and 2.7 inches, respectively, fell in Bismarck.

While the two days with the largest snowfall totals, 5.9 inches on Dec. 13 and 6.5 inches on Dec. 14, resulted in relatively few wrecks, Dec. 15 and 16 also were busy days for police. The heavy snowfall occurred on Saturday and Sunday, but by Monday and Tuesday, much of the snow remained on the ground. Police received 33 reports Dec. 15, and 34 on Dec. 16.

Offerman speculates that overnight snowstorms might be contributing to the continuing high numbers of wrecks. People may be getting up at their normal times, leaving them with not enough time to get to work.

"It's just a feeling I have," he said.

The wrecks aren't just inconvenient - they also can be costly. Officers estimate the December wrecks caused more than $1.2 million in damages, compared to estimates of more than $700,000 in 2006 and more than $800,000 in 2007.

Offerman said those numbers are just officers' estimates - the actual costs of fixing the vehicles likely is higher.

While the heavy snowfall contributes to many of the wrecks, busy days for wrecks occur even when it doesn't seem likely, the longtime officer said.

Offerman remembers working the day before Thanksgiving in 1981 when a pleasant, 35-degree day turned colder, resulting in moisture freezing on the streets. From 6 to 10 p.m., officers were called to about 60 wrecks. Offerman responded to a wreck at Divide Avenue and Ward Road. While working on that wreck, four more occurred within his sight.

Many of the wrecks could be avoided if drivers would slow down and prepare for the conditions, Offerman said. He said vehicles with four-wheel drive are helpful, but they take as long to stop as any other vehicle.

"People need to slow down when the weather is inclement,"Offerman said.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)