Northern Plains Blizzard 11/27/-11/28

[Mike Hollingshead]

What an absolutely impressive storm. Blizzard warning with severe cells moving nw towards the snow line right now in sc NE. McCook gusting to 68mph recently. Everything here got coated with ice to start and has mangled the trees and will also alow for thing to really blow and drift on top of it.

I believe the one severe cell with nickel hail is 2 counties east of the blizzard warning moving wnw. Fun stuff!

This reminds me. I imagine a lot of the wind measurements up here in this area will be skewed due to ice. If they aren't froze solid they are likely spinning slower. Of do they do them another way(tube?)?

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Slowly getting more interesting here. I lost cable at somepoint over night. What will I do!?!? This wifi provider must be some satellite dish on this building as it really sucks. Connection has been strong but browsing has been pretty crappy. This will take 5 minutes before it actually sends. This one radio station I'm getting in here has come and gone a few times. And now my heater sounds like it is going to die. All the sudden it sounds like the fan is smacking on something. A quick glance out the window shows someone is going to have a fun time scooping out their van. The front half of it is almost fully encased with snow. It is up to the hood. I'm on the other side of it and can't see how bad mine is yet. I don't think it has snowed THAT much yet but this place is in an L shape, going south on one leg and ne on the other and we are in the worst spot on the se side of the building. Anything that has landed on this long roof is circling back to the middle as it blows off(roof is all ice nothing is left up there). I'm just gald I still have power.

LBF discussions/forecasts now mentioning 70mph winds here. The area in se SD is starting to want to pull back sw it seems and will help snowfall rates here during the day I imagine. They really do need a radar out here. I guess the rates aren't going to have to be all that high as the duration is allowing it to add up and these winds.....well.........will head out in a bit to take a look around. I'm guessing it'll be wise to just stay here another night and play around close to town here.

Scott: Sounds like you got an even worse ice mess up around there(well west of there anyway). Looking at the radar this morning I imagine somewhere up there has some seriously bad ice problems. I'll probably take the long way home tomorrow and head up that way.

 

[Scott Olson]

UPDATE:



Major icing has occured throughout parts of Eastern SD. Huron, Mitchell and a major pileup on the I-90 has already resulted. Here in Brookings I just witnessed several trees snap and the ice is everywhere. Still no snow yet just some small sleet accumulations. Governor has ordered parts of I-90 closed as well as told people to not travel today.

 

[Bill Schintler]

RE: broken anemometers

I imagine a lot of the wind measurements up here in this area will be skewed due to ice. If they aren't froze solid they are likely spinning slower. Of do they do them another way(tube?)?

Well, curiously enough, a few stations where there has been freezing rain (HON, MHE for example), report calm winds… I know that’s not right as adjacent stations are reporting gusts to 50-60mph! - bill

 

[Edward Ballou]

Just saw the DOT trucks head out from their center near the I-29 ramp at brookings. Ice is starting to build up but now turning to snow. Some pretty significant icing occured in Mitchell. The pictures people are sending into a local news station are pretty neat: http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=0,44239

If that link doesn't work, just go to http://www.keloland.com and click on viewer submitted photos.

South Dakota State University cancelled all classes right away this morning. They've only done that twice in the last 5 years if I counted correctly.

Yet I sit here at work...sadly even if they asked their employees to go home, I would still have to get my work done. But here's for wishing.

It seems like the accumulation will never come though. It only turned to ice at about 10. The wind is something else though. Every rain drop felt like ice when the wind throws it at you.

 

[Scott Olson]

Just saw the DOT trucks head out from their center near the I-29 ramp at brookings. Ice is starting to build up but now turning to snow. Some pretty significant icing occured in Mitchell. The pictures people are sending into a local news station are pretty neat: http://www.keloland.com/NewsDetail2817.cfm?Id=0,44239

If that link doesn't work, just go to http://www.keloland.com and click on viewer submitted photos.

South Dakota State University cancelled all classes right away this morning. They've only done that twice in the last 5 years if I counted correctly.

Yet I sit here at work...sadly even if they asked their employees to go home, I would still have to get my work done. But here's for wishing.

It seems like the accumulation will never come though. It only turned to ice at about 10. The wind is something else though. Every rain drop felt like ice when the wind throws it at you.

Looks like the NAM solution of waiting to make the switchover till 18z may be more correct, since the gfs wanted to accumulate 4-5" of snow in our area between 15z-18z. It's still not snowing here. The NAM solution would then accumulate 4-5" in a 12 hour period. With the winds, tons of icing and some hours recieving .50-1" I think those factories that are still open will probably be making decisions to close by 2p.m.

EDIT: 11:25 AM--- SNOW now coming down quite fast, stronger band moving in now.

EDIT: 2:28 PM.. It's coming down hard now. Looks to be at least 2" in my area so far. Winds have picked up and are now gusting 40+kts. Power is out in large rural area in part of the state. Activation of EAS on local television channels advising shelters for people who have lost power. Power not expected to be restored today for the rural areas who have lost power.

EDIT: 3:04 Winter Storm warning cancelled replaced with Blizzard Warning.

 

[Edward Ballou]

I-29 has been closed between Sioux Falls and Watertown and I-90 has been closed between Kadoka and Mitchell.

Not too much snow has fallen as of yet that I saw. Accumulations of maybe half an inch to an inch?

 

[Scott Olson]

I-29 has been closed between Sioux Falls and Watertown and I-90 has been closed between Kadoka and Mitchell.

Not too much snow has fallen as of yet that I saw. Accumulations of maybe half an inch to an inch?

I got 2 1/8" so far. The wind is blowing the snow horizontally stopping it against a wall/fence. I measured in between three houses that block the wind pretty well.

Edit: 3 Inches on our walkway and 2 inches across the street on the bikepath.
Will try and get pics later.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Well I've been trying to load this reply page for a good thirty minutes now. Right as I type that the power goes out yet again. 4 times in the last hour it has gone black in here only to come back on.

Anyway, as far as my thinking I'll just stick around here today...well there is zero choice in that matter now. It is BAD out. That van now has snow over the hood, up the windshield and over the top of it. I saw the guy out there earlier getting something out of it. Why he did not move it while he still could I do not know.

After a good hour of trying to get the vehicle driveable(windsheild clear and wipers doing something) I ventured into town. I only got a few blocks before getting my butt back here. There's about a foot on the main drag through town(highway 20). I saw one powerline laying in someone's yard. I turned off onto a side street and there it was made clear even 4 wheel drive was not meant for this.

So I come back here and play around on the east side of the motel. This was really fun but not terribly easy to shoot video and stills in. I backed up to a spot and parked. This is on solid ice that you can't hardly stand on. I put the video camera out on a tripod propped up against the open door to stand in the wind on cam(I'm a dork I know). As soon as I go to step infront of the cam the wind gets going and I literally go sliding by infront of the cam standing up, not stepping...rather quickly. (Great there goes the cable again.....drats)

While I was playing around some guy in a truck gets stuck on the road behind the motel. Shot video of him a bit as he dug out(from inside my vehicle.). I figured it was pointless to try but couldn't see that the rest of the road was clear. During all this the wind is just crazy out there. He got out pretty quickly.

I then get cold and come back in, forgetting to grab the digital camera transfer cable. Then realized I should have walked over to the gas station for food first too. Went back out, truck too screwed over with ice to drive it again without cleaning again, so walked. I grab a sandwhich, cheetos, cookies, and a coke......but no bag. Oh and before this while video taping I saw this glove going se at about 60mph. Then I thought....I bet that fell out of my pocket. Sure enough. So I was laughing at my own loss. My other glove was missing too(not thinking I have any with now). So here I am with no gloves, and walking into 60+ mph winds on a skating rink. Do I want to make two trips to get the cable too or get it all at once...to the truck now parked on the east side of the building by the door snowed shut to the motel? I hate two trips and was freezing my hands off. I had to look like the biggest fool trying to walk into that wind on the ice. Anyway...I get the back open and am searching for the cable and the strongest wind yet starts, blowing everything around I just sat down. It is strong enough I couldn't get away from the truck since I was on ice. Hands are now beyond in pain. Finally get the added stuff and get back in here. Have not gone back out since lol.

Anyway, it is really whicked out here. It is very tricky just getting out onto mainstreet. I can't imagine folks out in the boonies around here. It is so desolate in most areas. Some have been calling in saying just how bad they are snowed in. Any roads with dips out there are likely covered up to the hills that surround them. I have not heard thundersnow yet but just saw on Sioux Falls news that Valentine was. While I still had tv local TWC was showing winds in Broken Bow nw at 69.

Well back out in it I guess.

-------------

Wonder if it'll ever send the above. I've tried several times but the server here is so screwy.

Since the above I have bent the hinges on the drivers side door. It won't even start to latch now. I think something with the latch is wrong now as the hinge didn't bend terribly bad. The wind caught the door is how this happened. I have now tied the door to the steering wheel (with the electrical cord to a sony vid cam recharger) and stuffed a towel in the top for the night.

I hope the roads are driveable at some fairly early point tomorrow.


Stuck in O'Neill.....

 

[Jeff Lawson]

It finally snowed this afternoon here in Omaha... for about an hour. There's a light dusting on everything, but nothing I'd consider actual accumulation. The wind is howling, however, and the temperature continues to plummet. Snow or no snow, I'm staying inside.

I cut my Thanksgiving trip to Boulder short by a few days to beat the blizzard home. Kind of glad I did... looks like I-80 is a mess through central NE. Hopefully, the Wednesday system will dump a bit of snow on Omaha proper. Not much, mind you... just enough to keep things interesting. I'll be freezing my butt off either way.

Anyway, look on the bright side, Mike... you won't have to worry about shoveling snow once you finally make it home.

 

[Jason McKittrick]

Wow! what an impressive storm. Mike I'm really jeleous, I bet it was pretty cool to experience the wrath of this thing. Ainsworth had S+ with winds of 40 to 50mph, gusting 55 to 65mph, continuously from 3AM until 5 PM. North Platte NWS radar estimates, thanks to bright banding, 4-5" QPF SE of Ainsworth. I suspect some places in rural Brown county probably had 2 feet of snow from this storm.

Mike, have you been able to see any drifts? How big? How much snow would you guess has blown past you?

 

[Scott Olson]

Preliminary Damage & Significant Snowfall Totals: (Snowfall totals cutoff at 4pm will replace with original totals once avaliable. Snow was blown almost horizontally so even areas with small snowfall could have significant drifts.)

SNOW: (Areas with 6 inches or more) (In Inches)
20 KENNEBEC (SD) (RECORD BREAKING/GUST TO 70MPH)
14 GREGORY (SD)
14 BRULE (SD)
13 ARNOLD (NE)
12 15S MILLER (SD)
12 BLUNT (SD)
12 TRIPP (5ft Drifts/ <100 ft VIS)
12 FORT THOMPSON
10.5 MURDO (SD)
10 WAGNER (SD)
8 GANN VALLEY (SD)
8 CHAMBERLAIN (SD) (6ft Drifts/Whiteout)
8 AVON (SD) (5ft Drifts)
8 HIGHMORE (SD)



Losses & Damage:
Before snow & wind event an ice event preceeded and caused the worse losses including the loss of life. Ice accumulations were common among
North Platte, Sioux Falls & Aberdeen CWA's.

Many Rural cities from the Aberdeen CWA and FSD CWA lost power and are still without power. Some areas reported over 60 powerlines on one stretch.

SOUTH DAKOTA
- Huron was the first victim to the icing suffering power-outs last night from fallen powerlines, snapped trees and several accidents.

- Mitchell was reportedly covered in snow this morning with some damage to trees and powerlines.

- A Bridge that had iced up between Sioux Falls and Mitchell resulted in a 10 car pileup and 50 other accidents. Some injuries + FATALITY 59 year old man.

- Unkown number of accidents happend today. Public officals from several counties were onthe radio stating that people should avoid using the roads at all costs and that Highway patrol
was busy with accidents.

- SD Governor closes I-90 from Kadooka to Sioux Falls and I-29 from Sioux Falls to Watertown, most of South Dakotas interstate system. The I-29 closure was in part due to a powerline that had fallen and people were driving over it.

NEBRASKA
-Interstate 80 is closed between North Platte and Aurora and York. Several Highways also closed.

-Dozens of vehicles accidents reported by Nebraska State Patrol. The first FATALITY of the High Plains Blizzard occured after a 21 year-old woman lost control of her vehicle due to ice.

- Power problems are reported through Central and Northcentral Nebraska. Many areas have experienced rolling blackouts due to power-line failures.

Quite an incredible event, snowfall totals were a bit disappointing here in Brookings which will probably not exceed 3" in total accumulation but some areas did get over a foot and may exceed a 1 1/2' when all is said and done. The winds were gusting well into 40kts for a good portion of the day. NAM snowfall guidance did a pretty good job with the lesser amounts in EC SD and both models did a good job with nailing SC SD. With Gregory County at 14.0 inches as of just 4pm! I went out some today and it was quite fun, I only wish we had some of the bands that were showing 40-45dbz as there was in SW MN. For what it's worth it looks like most of Brookings got 2" but because of the strong sustained winds it is quite variable. 3 Foot drift in my backyard and saw a 3-4' foot drift at the golfcourse.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Making this real quick. Heard boom.....later saw that took out half the motel power....other half. Then wondered why my heater wasn't working. Well it must be on that. Then a bit later another boom. This time my room goes black. Then the lights come on but super super dim and constantly surging up and down. They have been doing this for an hour in here, lol. It looks like a haunted house. Now they are dimmed to about black. Then I go in bathroom and turn on switch and those lights are fine. So now I'm powered in the bathroom. Wifi connection is still problematic but it IS still left lol. I'm getting the feeling I'm losing this battle now.

As for snow totals here I have no idea. I do believe that area you mentioned se of Ainsworth probably got a ton. I kept watching that area and it was always much much more active than here. And here is bad. I can't think of any worse snow storm I've been in. As far as reports, well things are so remote right here that those areas sw of here and se of O'Neill will likely have no one reporting anything. If I can fix my car door tomorrow early enough I might venture down there....if it is possible. I don't believe any plows have been out at all here. I have not seen a single one since I've been here. Well I did see one out in the lots around this place and the truck stop here. LOL, these lights. I wonder how long they will act like this. They are certainly missing some juice.

I'll learn more tomorrow about areas around here hopefully. I had tv for about 1 hour today and crappy internet. I've also not been outside of this parking lot/motel since I tried early in the day. Well better hit send before wifi is finished again.

 

[Scott Olson]

Yeah there hasn't been a whole lot coming out of North Platte's office. I wanted to include more in the snowfall totals but most of the data was reported as 'missing'. I added a couple more snowfall totals for Nebraska and some damage reports.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Yawn. Right after I sent the last message all went black here. No more creapy lights, no more good power in bathroom.....nothing. It made me wish I had a battery powered radio. Finally fell asleep only to wake up to lights and a radio. I am guessing while it was surging they shut power off totally around here to fix the problem. Man......that has got to be one of the worst jobs in the world...lineman.

Not much else to add. Having devices and info to keep your brain occupied is so much nicer than ziltch. Makes one think about things I guess.

Things(power/wifi) look solid here now. Wifi looks more like it did when I arrived. I'm not hearing my window talk to me as much now(howling).