Snow & Cold Impacts the Region
by Cody Matz
December 09, 2012 11:08 AM
Snow and cold will be the big story through the day Sunday as an area of low pressure continues to move eastward through our area. The majority of the accumulating snow is over with another 1 or 2 inches possible in some areas. But this storm is far from over as the winds pick up on the backside of this system gusting out of the northwest to 45 mph. This will create near zero visibility at times in the areas that have seen more then a couple inches of snow. Blizzard warnings have been expanded further southwest and now include much of eastern South Dakota with the excpetion of the southeastern few counties. Travel is discouraged in these areas, especially from the James River Valley eastward into western Minnesota where blowing and drifting snow will be a concern through the evening hours. If you have to travel, SDDOT has some important safety tips:
If you must travel, the departments of Transportation and Public Safety recommend travelers also take the following steps.
- Wear your seatbelt
- Travel during the day
- Drive with your headlights on (not daytime running lights) so you can be seen by other motorists from the front and rear
- Use highly traveled roads and highways
- Keep family and friends informed of your travel schedule and route
- Call 511 or visit safetravelusa.com for road conditions
- Keep a winter weather survival kit in your car. The kit should include blankets, warm clothing, water, energy bars, a flashlight, a distress flag, a shovel and matches
- Travel with a charged cell phone, but don’t rely on it to get you out of a bad situation
§ Change travel plans as weather conditions warrant
If you do get stranded:
§ Stay in your vehicle
- Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes an hour to stay warm
- When the engine is running, open a window slightly to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Periodically clearing snow from the exhaust pipe will also help prevent carbon monoxide buildup
- When it’s dark outside, turn on the interior light so rescuers can see you
- Put up a distress flag, or spread a large colored cloth on the ground to attract attention from rescuers
Remember that storms like these are not always constant, so just because visibility and road conditions look ok where you are, doesn't mean that they aren't treacherous just a few miles away. Below are some of the most recent snow totals from this first storm. We will have storm total snowfall on the KDLT Weather Blog once this storm has subsided. For the latest information on the snow and blowing snow, visit the KDLT Weather Page or our Facebook page. You can also follow our Meteorologists on Twitter: @codymatz @WxKellySmith @JoelYoungKDLT
Stay safe!
