It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas -– at least in the Dakotas, Montana and Minnesota.
The first winter storm of the season arrived in all four states on Thursday, bringing with it 50 miles-per-hour winds and as much as two-feet of snow.
Whiteout conditions made travel impossible in several parts of North Dakota, which was hit the hardest. Multiple reports show a 200-mile stretch of Interstate 94 was closed for much of Thursday due to treacherous conditions.
A number of storm-related traffic accidents were also reported in the state, which on Thursday evening saw snow accumulating at the rate of 1-2 inches per hour, according to the National Weather Service
A record total of 12 to 24 inches of snow was observed across much of the North Dakota, with the largest amount falling near the state capital of Bismarck, AccuWeather reported. Previously, the city's highest single-day snowfall in November was 10.8 inches, set back in 1993 -- on Thursday alone, the city saw 17 inches of snow.
The storm officially met the definition of a blizzard, which is defined as a snowstorm with one-quarter-mile visibility or less with winds of 35 mph or greater for three consecutive hours, per AccuWeather.
A long swath of at least 8 to 12 inches stretched from near Yellowstone National Park through much of eastern Montana, North Dakota and into northern Minnesota, and several inches fell as far south as central Wyoming and southwest South Dakota, according to The Washington Post.
Other areas further south, like Fargo, only saw a few inches of snow, but were pelted with freezing rain and ice.
Areas of northwest Minnesota saw nearly a foot of snow, with 11 inches reported in Malung and Roseau, the NWS reported. The rapid change in temperature was the biggest impact on the state, dropping over 40 degrees within 24 hours in some places, including the Twin Cities.
By Friday morning, much of the snow tapered off with a few flurries holding out across the region. Winds persisted, leaving temperatures from the mid 20s to the low 30s.
While the snow appears to be done for the weekend, the cold is sticking around and will even stretch into next week with readings as low as the teens in some areas and barely reaching above freezing in others, forecasters say.
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