Driving conditions deteriorate as winter storm intensifies

A widespread winter storm worsened Wednesday, resulting in road, school, and business closures across South Dakota.

Most of the state east of the Missouri River is under a blizzard warning, according to the National Weather Service. The rest of the state is under a winter storm warning.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation closed Interstate 29 from Sioux Falls to the North Dakota border. Interstate 90 is closed from Sioux Falls to the Mitchell exit. More closures are expected later Wednesday as conditions deteriorate.

A tweet from the South Dakota Highway Patrol advised against travel, saying conditions on secondary state highways will "not be any better" than on the interstates.

Snow began falling in parts of the state Tuesday and continued to accumulate overnight. Forecasters are expecting the heaviest snow to fall Wednesday through Thursday morning. NWS estimates nearly the entire state will get at least six inches of snow accumulation throughout the event, with some areas receiving more than a foot.

Conditions are not expected to improve until midday Thursday in most areas.

The Rapid City office of the NWS said the snow is accompanied by strong winds and bitterly cold wind chills, resulting in "life-threatening" conditions if you become stranded.

Dozens of schools across the state are closed Wednesday, as are many businesses. Avera, Sanford, and Monument Health closed several clinics due to the weather.

Gov. Kristi Noem ordered offices closed in over 30 counties, most which are East River.

Several communities have declared snow alerts, including Pierre, Mitchell, and Brookings.

Weather resources

• Aberdeen NWS forecast center
• Rapid City National Weather Service forecast center
• Sioux Falls NWS forecast center
• Check the latest road conditions in South Dakota here