The year's first winter storm dumped more than a foot and a half of snow on parts of eastern North Dakota and forced the closing of part of Interstate 29 overnight.

The interstate from Grand Forks south to Fargo reopened at 8 a.m. Monday, but officials warned drivers to go slow.

Dozens of schools in Grand Forks and Traill counties were closed, and the interstate closing caused a major backup of traffic at hotels and truck stops in Fargo.

Michelle Martens, the field desk manager at the Stamart truck stop along Interstate 29, estimated more than 250 trucks were parked there overnight, waiting for the interstate to reopen.

"It was amazing to see that many trucks in that one area," Martens said Monday morning. "They were parked everywhere - everywhere they could find a spot. To see them leaving (after the interstate reopened), it was just truck to truck to truck."

The National Weather Service said Mayville had 19 inches of snow and Detroit Lakes, Minn., reported 20 inches, as of 6 a.m. Grand Forks reported 13.4 inches of snow and Fargo had about a foot.

The snowstorm hit the western part of the state Saturday and tapered off Sunday. The weather service said the Minot Air Force Base reported a foot of snow Sunday morning. Other amounts included 9 inches in Beulah, 7 inches in Williston and 6 inches in Bismarck.

In Jamestown, a semi slid off the road, hit two trees and came to rest against a home. Authorities said no one was hurt.

Police Lt. Robert Opp said people were stuck all over town. Jamestown reported 7 inches of snow Sunday.

Doug Holden, who works for A-1 Bobcat Services in Valley City, said he was busy clearing snow all day Sunday, starting with a church in Valley City. "Then I found out they weren't having church," he said with a laugh.

Snow drifts were common in driveways and streets - even at the weather service office in Bismarck.

"We had to shovel our way through," meteorologist Todd Hamilton said.

Shovelers found little moisture in the snow.

Candace Barth, who lives just outside Bismarck, said she and her daughter shoveled part of the driveway Saturday night, and her husband got out the snowblower Sunday.

"There's not a lot of moisture in this snow," she said. "I'm not a real big fan of snow, but we need the moisture."

The state remained in the grip of a cold Arctic air mass. Highs Monday were expected from 5 degrees below zero in the northwest to about 10 above in the southeast. Lows were expected from 10 below to 20 below.

The winter weather is an education for some visitors to the state, said Dusty Lawson, a National Car Rental agent at the Minot airport.

"They have no idea how they're supposed to function with cars in this weather," he said.