SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- At least today started out nice.
About 10 a.m., it was mostly sunny, calm, temperature in the 40s.
Then as the day progressed, then clouds, then the sleet, then the snow moved into the Sioux Falls metro region, along with winds and the temperature hovering at freezing.
As of 1 p.m. today, KELO-AM had only received three early dismissals for districts north of Sioux Falls--Brookings, Flandreau Public, and Ramona-Rutland.
However, it could have been worse and is worse in other parts of the state.
While Sioux Falls is in a winter weather advisory, not too far to the north--like in Brookings--much of northeast South Dakota has been in a blizzard or winter storm warning. The South Dakota Highway Patrol reported that I-90 west of the Missouri was closed at times because of weather related accidents.
The NWS says winds could be gusty thorugh this evening.
The State of South Dakota issued the following warning about 4 p.m. today:
- The fast-moving storm has featured high winds, low visibility, freezing rain and snow. Several weather-related vehicle crashes and semi rollovers have been reported in other parts of the state. Drivers of high-profile vehicles should use extra caution since sustained winds of 25-40 mph have been reported in other areas with gusts of more than 50 mph.
The City of Sioux Falls also issued warnings and advice about driving in what could be sloppy conditions.
“The first snowfall is always a good time to remind drivers to slow down and allow extra time to reach their destinations,” says Matt Burns, Police Chief. “Each year when the snow begins to accumulate for the first time, we see an increase in accidents, and most often the cause is overdriving the road conditions.”
The City also said it was prepared for whatever Mother Nature might bring.
“The Public Works Street Division is prepared for whatever the weather brings us,” says Galynn Huber, Street Manager. “Please watch www.siouxfalls.org as well as the City’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for information as the snow season comes upon us.”
Xcel Energy, the electrical provider for much of Sioux Falls, also had instructions on how to find out about outages caused by the weather.
- Snow and ice can cause electrical outages and it’s important for customers to have access to the most recent updates about their power restoration. Customers can sign up for outage notifications through the My Account feature on the Xcel Energy website or by downloading the mobile app available on iOS and Android. Additionally, the website hosts an outage map that displays information on the number of customers out and anticipated time for restoration. Customers can also stay informed by following Xcel Energy on Facebook and Twitter.
Stay tuned to KELO-AM 1320 and FM 105.1 and KELQ-FM 107.9 for frequent weather forecasts from our weather partner, KELOLand-TV.