North Dakota Winter Storm Wimps Out: Only a Foot of Snow

"Winter storm arrives later, weaker than expected"
Stephen J. Leem GrandForksHerald.com (March 22, 2011)

"The winter storm hit eastern North Dakota a little later than expected and doesn't have quite the punch earlier predicted.

"But it's got enough to drop a foot or more of snow on the Devils Lake Basin by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service's report about 7:20 p.m. Tuesday. From six inches to 12 inches could fall across much of eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, the weather service said...."

The Lemming's #3 daughter and son-in-law live about 40 miles south of Grand Forks: They've got about nine inches of snow on the ground now, and expect about eight more before the storm passes. That's on top of freezing rain that came earlier.

Roads won't be open for a while there - but they've got a snowmobile, so getting to town shouldn't be a problem.

Back to that article.

"...By Tuesday evening, Interstate 94 from Fargo to Bismarck was closed by the Highway Patrol. U.S Highway 83 from Bismarck to the Canadian border was closed, and a stretch of U.S. Highway 2 from just west of Minot to east of Rugby was closed. State highway officials put a no-travel advisory out for most of the state's highways, and a travel alert for the remainder.

"The winter storm warning that went into effect at noon Tuesday remains in effect until 7 p.m. Wednesday....

"...Power outages were reported in several cities in central and southwest North Dakota beginning Tuesday morning as ice formed on power lines, state officials said. But most outages were repaired within a few hours....

"...No Delta airline flights to and from Grand Forks were canceled for Tuesday or Wednesday, according to the Grand Forks Airport Authority's website. In Minot, some flights were canceled Tuesday because of icy, slushy conditions....

"...Williston, N.D., and Dickinson, N.D., broke records Tuesday for precipitation that dated to 1975 for the date. By 7 p.m. Tuesday 0.45 inch of precipitation fell at Williston and 0.41 inch at Dickinson, breaking records set in 1975, according to the weather service. The 5.2 inches of snow that fell on Williston by 7 p.m. also set a record."

One reason the Lemming loves living in this part of the world is that we have blizzards, howling winds, raging thunderstorms, freezing rain, and the occasional tornado - often enough so that we're prepared for them.

Or should be: and that's another topic.

Slightly-related posts:

• "Accura Commercial; Baudette, Minnesota; and Weather That's Not Boring"
  (February 15, 2011)
• "Winter Weather, Chicago, and a Really Big Storm"
  (February 2, 2011)
• "Blizzard, Cold, and Walking in to Fetch the Tractor"
  (January 31, 2011)
• "Minnesota Winters: Bitter Cold, Springlike Warmth, and Everything in Between"
  (February 1, 2009)
• "Minnesota Seasons: Inspiration and Tourism"
  (February 8, 2010)