Jamestown area experiences blizzard conditions

Dec. 15—JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown area experienced blizzard conditions Thursday, Dec. 15, after a winter storm dropped 11 inches of snow Tuesday into Thursday, Dec. 13-15, and caused many businesses to close.

The Jamestown area was expected to get another 3 to 7 inches of snow Thursday into Friday morning, said Todd Hamilton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

He said the Jamestown area is expected to see more blowing snow Friday. He said the area could receive about an inch of snow on Friday.

"It's going to be light but unfortunately it will still remain windy tomorrow," he said.

A blizzard warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Bismarck shortly after noon on Thursday and is in effect for Dickey, Foster, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties until 6 a.m. Friday, Dec. 16. The blizzard warning said winds could gust as high as 50 mph.

The North Dakota State Hospital reported 2 inches of snow Wednesday into Thursday morning. Jamestown received 9 inches of snow Tuesday into Wednesday morning.

Hamilton said to expect temperatures to be in the single digits above zero this weekend with highs falling below zero early next week.

A no-travel advisory was issued for Barnes, Dickey, Eddy, Griggs, Foster, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Ransom, Sheridan, Stutsman and Wells counties. A no-travel advisory means conditions are such that motorists should not travel in these areas due to hazardous winter weather driving conditions.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation and the North Dakota Highway Patrol closed U.S. Highway 52 from Harvey to Jamestown. Both lanes of Interstate 94 are closed from Dickinson to Fargo.

Other highways that are closed in the area Thursday include U.S. Highway 281 from Jamestown to South Dakota, N.D. Highway 46 from the N.D. Highway 30 junction to just past the Interstate 29 exit and N.D. Highway 36 from Wilton to Pingree.

The NDDOT said at 3 p.m. Thursday that parking for commercial motor vehicles is very limited at closure points along the interstate and those motorists should consider stopping before the closure points.

Sgt. Evan Savageau with the patrol warned motorists of taking secondary roads if Interstate 94 is closed.

"The secondary roads probably aren't being addressed as quickly," he said.

He said motorists who attempt to take secondary roads are stretching the resources of law enforcement and first responders. He said motorists should check the NDDOT's travel information map and cameras on highways to see how road conditions are. He said the cameras do not show the entire highway and conditions could be worse in other areas.

Savageau said the patrol spent Thursday morning trying to get motorists who were parked at I-94 off-ramps and on-ramps as well as an overpass to locations where they can park for a longer period of time. He said the vehicles in those areas prevent NDDOT plows from being effective at clearing the highways.

The roads in Jamestown that weren't plowed were "terrible" Thursday morning, said Lt. Robert Opp with the Jamestown Police Department. He said at least one ambulance got stuck responding to a call by Western Park Village in Jamestown and the road had to get plowed before the ambulance could get through.

He said the roads in Jamestown would get worse as more snow falls and wind speeds increase.

At the Jamestown Public Works Committee meeting Thursday, Dec. 15, Shawn O'Neill, sanitation foreman, said the plan was to pick up Wednesday's garbage routes on Friday and do Thursday's routes on Saturday if possible.

"We will have to play it by ear (Friday) morning and see where we are at," he said. "Our biggest thing is that a lot of the city streets are not plowed yet and our trucks can't make it through there. Some of the alleys are done, but I'm sure they are going to get filled in again so we are going to have to clean those again."