By Blake Nicholson
Many schools were closed Wednesday and motorists struggled to get around as the second blizzard in less than a week ripped through northeastern South Dakota.
The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the region through Wednesday evening, and the state Transportation Department reported poor road conditions throughout the area.
“It’s starting to blow pretty good, and they’re starting to shut down schools,” Gloria Robertson, who works at the Dakota Connection Casino & Travel Plaza at Sisseton, said Wednesday morning. “It’s pretty quiet. We’ve got one customer.”
Bev Paulson, who works at the Hot Cakes Cafe and Lodging in Hankinson, in the North Dakota, said: “Anybody that has attempted to travel any distance has turned around and come back home.”
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Temperatures in the region were below zero, with wind chills plummeting to 30 degrees below. The life-threatening conditions were forecast to continue into this morning.
Similar conditions blanketed the region last Thursday, though that system brought winds that surpassed 70 mph to some areas and reached near-hurricane force. The weather is associated with strong Arctic cold fronts - something that is normal this time of year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Makowski.
“We’ve been stuck in a similar pattern for the last few weeks, seeing these systems dive down into the Northern Plains,” he said. “Each of them has a little period of snow in advance, and some very gusty winds behind it. We’ve had some fresh snow to blow around, and that’s exacerbated the situation.”
Robertson said area residents are getting tired of the brutal conditions.
“Really, we want some sunshine,” she said.
