[h=2]Blizzard Shuts Down I-25 and I-90 in Wyoming, South Dakota
[h=6]By
Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist [h=5]October 04, 2013; 6:24 AM
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Click the above video for a detailed forecast for the north-central United States.
Blizzard conditions will continue to affect eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska Friday, shutting down travel. In some areas, the snow will fall at the rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
A storm responsible for bringing
record rainfall to parts of the Northwest last weekend will blast areas from the Rockies to the Plains and Midwest with snow, wind, rain, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes through Saturday.
@HenryMargusity: "Fall blizzard for parts of western South Dakota, Wyoming and western Nebraska. Over a foot of snow with winds over 40 mph." Additional Relevant Tweets and Social Media Reaction
Portions of I-25 and I-90, as well as U.S. routes 16 and 20 in central and eastern Wyoming, have been closed Friday due to hazardous conditions, according to the Wyoming Department of Transportation.
No travel is advised along I-90 in South Dakota between exits 46 and 55 until the midday hours Saturday, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
Difficult travel is occurring along much of I-80 and I-25 in Wyoming and I-90 in western South Dakota with snow- and slush-covered roads and poor visibility.
Rapidly accumulating snow, blowing and drifting snow and whiteouts may cause some ill-prepared motorists to get stuck or become disoriented. The storm will remain intense enough to close additional roadways for a time in Wyoming, as well as in South Dakota and Nebraska.
Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph, both with and without heavy snow, can also down trees and power lines.
Cities being affected by the wind-driven snowstorm Friday include Rapid City, S.D.; Chadron, Neb.; and Cheyenne and Casper, Wyo.
A push of cold air from Canada colliding with warmth and moisture will bring wind-driven snow to the Wyoming Rockies and neighboring High Plains to the east, followed by rain changing to snow farther south Friday night over the central parts of South Dakota and Nebraska.
The snowstorm was reaching some areas hit by heavy snow last week, and some locations hit by flooding earlier during September. Thus far the storm has dropped from 1 to 3 feet of snow on some of the mountains in southwestern Montana and 6 to 12 inches of snow on the mountains of northern Colorado.
The storm will strengthen greatly east of the Rockies throughout the day Friday.
Blizzard conditions will center on the Black Hills of South Dakota and eastern Wyoming.
Accumulating snow reached the Denver, Colo., suburbs. Within the city, snow was falling, but accumulation is not expected on most road surfaces.
Across Colorado, some ski resorts are taking advantage of the cool weather and are already making snow. In preparation for the 2013-2014 ski season, Loveland Ski Area and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area plan to make snow for as long as conditions allow, according to a press release by Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA).
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