Terry Sarlsland and his three-member street maintenance crew in Bowman fired up snowplows for the first time in more than a year on Thursday, after a spring storm dumped more than 10 inches of heavy, wet snow in town.

Other parts of southwestern North Dakota got a foot or more of snow, the National Weather Service said.

Sarlsland, the city's street maintenance supervisor, said this year was the first in more than 30 years on the job in which the snowplows were idle over the winter. Usually, the plows are out at least twice a month during the winter months - and almost never in the spring, he said.

"It's really been strange," Sarlsland said. "I was kind of hoping we'd break a record, but we really need the moisture so it was really nice. The farmers and ranchers around here are really smiling."

It was a long day for Sarlsland and his crew. He said they were out for about 10 hours clearing roads in and around Bowman, a town of about 1,600 people.

Meteorologist Todd Hamilton, at the National Weather Service in Bismarck, said the wet snow was a boon for the area struggling with drought.

"Depending on how you look at it, the worst of it or best of it, is over," Hamilton said late Thursday afternoon. "It did bring some good moisture."

"It's beautiful," said Judy Pond, Bowman's city auditor. "This is quite a godsend to the area. Mother Nature has fooled us again."

Forecasters said the snow would quickly melt.

"This is the kind of snow that I like because you know it's not going to stick around long," Sarlsland said.

Authorities advised no travel Thursday morning in Slope and Bowman counties, but they lifted that advisory at noon.

Hamilton said most of the snow had tapered off by early afternoon.

Marmarth, in Slope County, reported the most snow, with more than a foot, the National Weather Service said.

Meteorologist Larry Manthe said snow flurries were reported as far east as Jamestown on Thursday. He said Minot was reporting a trace of snow on Thursday afternoon.

Bismarck also reported rain and a trace of snow, he said.

The "bulk of the storm" had moved into Canada by Thursday night, he said.