Imagery shows heavy snow, significant icing as blizzard continues to blast Plains
Blizzard Warnings stretch into their second day Wednesday across eastern Wyoming, western South Dakota, western Nebraska and a sliver of southeastern Montana.
Colorado feeling effects of major winter storm making its way across Plains
FOX Weather Correspondent Max Gorden is in Breckenridge, Colorado where a foot of snow has fallen in some areas of the Rockies.
A crippling blizzard is still blasting the northern Plains and Midwest with snow and ice, snarling traffic and leading to multiple crashes.
Minnesota State troopers respond to a vehicle that slid off the road.
(@MSPPIO_NW / Twitter / FOX Weather)
For example, troopers from the Minnesota State Patrol responded to 17 crashes, an additional 20 other vehicles that slid off the road and 4 jackknifed semi-trucks between December 13 at 12p.m. to December 14 at 6 a.m. Central Time.
Blizzard conditions lead to vehicle crashes in Minnesota
Troopers from the Minnesota State Patrol assist a driver, whose vehicle slid off a snow-covered stretch of I-94 near Moorhead, MN. (Courtesy: @MSPPIO_NW / Twitter)
Blizzard Warnings stretch into their second day Wednesday across a sliver of southeastern Montana, western South Dakota, western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming.
Snowstorm impacts northern Plains
Heavy snowfall and gusty winds impacted eastern Wyoming on Wednesday. Video is from Lusk, WY.
Frequent and widespread wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph or more have blown across the area amid periods of heavy snow – some pockets with snowfall rates of an inch or more per hour – and have led to several hours of near-whiteout or whiteout conditions.
Photographer Becky Lange said she filmed this footage in Sandstone, southwest of Duluth, on Wednesday morning. She said the heavy snow was breaking tree branches in her area.
(Becky Lange via Storyful / FOX Weather)
The National Weather Service in Duluth, Minnesota, said it would go down as a verified blizzard in the record books at the Duluth International Airport – three hours of quarter-mile visibility or less in the snow with winds frequently gusting over 35 mph.
"Even got some thundersnow in there for added effect," the weather office said.
By 8:50 a.m. Wednesday, up to 6.3 inches of snow had fallen at the Duluth weather office.
Becky Lange filmed this footage in Sandstone, southwest of Duluth, on Wednesday morning. She said the heavy snow was breaking tree branches in her area.
Blizzard overtakes Minnesota with widespread heavy snow
A blizzard carried heavy snow, wind gusts, and even thunder to parts of Minnesota on Wednesday. Photographer Becky Lange said she filmed this footage in Sandstone, southwest of Duluth, on Wednesday morning.
As the storm continues to move slowly east across the northern Plains away from Colorado, the NWS said snowfall will be very limited, but strong winds will continue, especially across the northeastern Plains.
The winds will continue to produce blowing and drifting snow. The worst conditions will be from Sterling in northeast Colorado and Akron eastward, while conditions should gradually improve west of Fort Morgan and Limon.
Twitter user @TractorNinja filmed a video just south of Sterling as the sun began to rise, showing blowing snow with poor visibility.
Sun rises as gusty winds blow snow across Colorado
Blowing snow and poor visibility continued to affect parts of Colorado on Wednesday, December 14, as a winter storm impacted the area. This footage was filmed and posted by Twitter user @TractorNinja, who said they filmed it just south of Sterling in northeast Colorado, early Wednesday.
Authorities in South Dakota urged residents to stay home as heavy snow made roads "impassable," and forecasts showed worsening conditions.
Video from the Spearfish Police Department showed road conditions as of 4 a.m. Wednesday, as blizzard conditions continue into the evening. As of 8 a.m., the police department said travel was still restricted and will likely remain as such through the day.
"While some primary and a secondary routes are passable, this is only for emergency vehicles and snow removal vehicles," police said on Facebook. "The general public is still prohibited from travel within the city of Spearfish. Garbage pick up will not happen today and may be impacted tomorrow and Friday."
Police: Heavy snow makes roads 'impassable' in South Dakota
Authorities in Spearfish, South Dakota, warned residents to stay home Wednesday following as Blizzard Warnings were issued. "Most areas of the community are impassable due to snow accumulations and drifting, with conditions forecasted to continue or worsen today," the police department said in a Facebook post.