Winter Storm Closes Interstates, Prompts Travel Warnings in Northern Plains, Midwest

A winter storm left portions of at least three interstates shut down in Minnesota and North Dakota Tuesday and brought snow and ice from the Northern Plains to the Midwest. The weather system, named Winter Storm Nancy by The Weather Channel, is just ahead of a second storm, named Oaklee.

Interstate 94 in southeastern North Dakota remained closed Tuesday evening. The state Department of Transportation and the North Dakota Highway Patrol were continuing work to clear stuck vehicles. "Wind speeds and low visibility in eastern ND are preventing I-94 from opening as multi-vehicle crashes are more likely in these conditions," the DOT said in a tweet.

Earlier, portions of I-29 near Fargo, as well as several others roads, were also closed or blocked, and drivers in some areas were being advised to avoid travel due to slippery conditions and near-zero visibility.

"If you're in southeast North Dakota, the safest place for you to be is right where you're at," the state Department of Transportation tweeted early Tuesday afternoon. "The plows are working hard to clear the drifts, but the wind is reducing visibility and making conditions treacherous."

The Minnesota State Patrol responded to 79 crashes between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Tuesday and 36 calls that involved vehicles spinning out or going off the road. Ten involved injuries but none were serious. There were no reports of fatalities.

Roads were also iced over Tuesday morning in parts of Michigan. Schools were closed or dismissed early in several areas in the path of the storm.

No widespread airport delays or cancellations were being reported as of the early afternoon, but major airlines such as Delta, Southwest and United were warning of possible impacts to travel and waiving change fees at airports including Denver, Chicago, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Memphis and Minneapolis.

Up to 30 inches of snow was reported in northern Wisconsin, and 10 to 20 inches fell across parts of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan, according to the National Weather Service.

We recognize the severe impact that current conditions are having on our customers and we are committed to restoring service levels as quickly as possible. As a result of these weather issues, the ALG Client Service Team will send daily updates as we monitor the progress and track job level impact.