High Winds, Drifts Shut Down Most Roads In Eastern Montana

Snow and wind continued to pound and paralyze much of eastern Montana Saturday despite forecasts that the storm would begin tapering off after its fourth day.

The weather bureau downgraded its blizzard warning to a blowing-snow warning Saturday night for Sheridan, Roosevelt, Richland, Dawson and Wibaux counties. Forecasters said winds had diminished slightly and visibility had improved, but conditions remained dangerous.

Nearly all highways in the eastern third of the state remained closed to traffic, and stranded truckers and other travelers clogged motels, churches, emergency shelters and even private homes.

Snowfall totaled no more than two feet in most places, but snowplows were fighting drifts piled 12 to 15 feet high by winds up to 40 mph. Visibility often dropped to zero, and state officials recommended emergency travel only.

In southeastern Montana, one lane of U.S. 212 was opened from Alzada to Belle Fourche, S.D., the state Department of Transportation reported. It was the only open road into South Dakota, and the department warned the single lane was snowpacked and icy.

All roads into North Dakota remained closed.

Interstate 94 was opened from Glendive to the west, but the department was not recommending travel on it.

Snowmobilers discovered two Canadian women Saturday afternoon who had been trapped for two days in their snowbound car on Montana 16 about eight miles north of Sidney, Richland County Sheriff Brad Baisch said.

The women, believed to be in their mid-20s, did not require medical attention, he said.

“They’re doing quite well,” Baisch said. “They’re holed up in a motel here now.”

He said employees of a trucking company discovered the women when they drove snowmobiles out of town in search of a stranded company truck.

One of two grocery stores in Sidney closed Saturday when it ran out of staples and its employees had trouble getting to work, Baisch said.

The weather bureau said the storm system in the Upper Midwest would begin tapering off late Saturday night or early today.

“Every motel is full,” said Kati Anvik, a waitress at the Trail Star Truck Stop in Glendive. “We’re running out of food; none of the grocery stores have bread.”

The National Guard Armory was opened as sleeping quarters, and travelers who had makeshift accommodations and needed showers were offered use of high school locker rooms. Churches offered sleeping space, and people were asked to provide room in their homes.

“If we could stress one thing, it’s ‘emergency travel only,”’ said a Transportation Department dispatcher.

“In these blizzard conditions, our own guys (plow operators) can’t even see beyond the hoods of their vehicles.” The dispatcher said many of those drivers had to stop working for a time on Saturday, because of blowing snow.