Bitter Cold Takes Over Northern Plains in Wake of Snow

Feb. 12, 2004
By the Associated Press

Generally calm winds, clearing skies, and bitterly cold temperatures took over the northern Plains Thursday morning following Wednesday's winds that gusted to 77 mph, closing schools, making highway travel hazardous and even halting an Amtrak train..

An "Alberta Clipper" storm blowing out of Canada did not bring heavy snow — 2 inches of snow was reported at Jamestown, N.D. — but the wind picked up snow and caused drifting and visibility-cutting whiteout conditions, cutting visibility was down to about 200 feet in central South Dakota at times.

Some highways in western South Dakota had drifts 3 feet high, authorities reported.

On Wednesday, North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven declared a snow emergency, saying the northwestern part of the state had snow drifts of up to 20 feet.

A stretch of about 100 miles of Interstate 94 was closed from late Tuesday until midday Wednesday in eastern Montana, from Miles City to the North Dakota state line.

At the height of the storm, wind gusted to 77 mph at Glendive, in eastern Montana. But by 8 a.m. Thursday, MT., the winds there were only 7 mph under a mostly clear sky, with a temperature of -7.

At least one death in Minnesota was blamed on the storm. A 4-year-old girl from Cokato was killed when the car her mother was driving went out of control on an icy patch of Highway 12 west of Howard Lake and collided broadside with another car.

The State Patrol identified her as Cynthia Perez, daughter of Crystal K. Perez, 22, who was critically injured and taken to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale. The patrol said the girl was not secured in her child seat.

Amtrak's Empire Builder service across North Dakota was halted Wednesday by blizzard conditions, said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

Passenger R.D. Knutson of Fargo, N.D., said the train had to stop about 21 miles east of Williston, N.D., late Tuesday and back up into the city.

Early Wednesday, Magliari said, the train reached Minot, N.D., about 125 miles from Williston, but the rest of the eastbound run was canceled. Stranded passengers were put up in hotels, he said.

Wind and blowing snow also caused travel problems in southern Minnesota, while in Montana, many secondary routes in the eastern part of the state were impassable Wednesday.

Sidney, Mont., on the state's far eastern edge, was isolated with barricades erected to keep people off roads that were blocked by snow not far outside town, and schools were closed for about 1,200 students.

"It was drifting so bad. We were afraid no one would get to the school buildings this morning," said Sandi Edwards, administrative assistant for the school district. "I've lived here 24 years and I don't remember them ever closing all the outlets out of here."

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2004-02-12-plains-clearing_x.htm