Winter Storm Blanche Hammering North Dakota -- Just Beginning -- November 28, 2016

Updates

Later, 9:25 p.m. Central Time: see first comment -- talk about a conflict-of-interest ...  it has been reported that Standing Rock's chairman Dave Archambault II is the owner of the Cannon Ball Pit Stop gas station you are referring to on Hwy 1806.

Later, 2:09 p.m. Central Time: NWS reporting that New Town, ND, has "received" eleven (11) inches of snow. If New Town got that much snow, the Standing Rock folks are going to be snowed in for at least a couple of days. These secondary roads, some of the tertiary roads, are down the list of priority roads that need to be plowed. Good luck to all. And it gets dark really, really, early.

Original Post

 

The Weather Channel continues to highlight major winter storm in the Dakotas; the storm seems to be centered around north-central South Dakota, and south-central North Dakota -- between Bismark, ND; and Pierre, SD.

Earlier this morning, The Weather Channel predicted up to a foot of snow in Bismarck. That has now been updated (10:58 a.m. Central Time) from one foot to one-and-a-half feet. 

Camera images from North Dakota DOT at this link: http://www.dot.nd.gov/travel-info-v2/. When you get to the link, click on "Camera Images" (upper left hand corner) and then pick region of interest. For this storm, I would pick "Bismarck/Mandan" area.

Something tells me there will be a lot of folks asking for state assistance to simply stay alive. Just remember that the Obama administration delayed the closure of the camp by about two weeks when the weather was still lovely.

I remember hitchhiking from Pierre, SD, to Williston, ND, back in the winter of 1970 - 1971. At Christmas break my roommate drove me to his home in Pierre, SD. I stayed overnight at his home, and then the next morning, under freezing and snowy conditions, I hitchhiked home. Six hours in the "elements" under these conditions is incredibly dangerous.

Stayin' Alive, Bee Gees
I believe the only fixed public building on US Highway 1806 in this area is a service station. Yes, the kind that sells gasoline and diesel. That comes from crude oil.