Winter storm updates

State office closures announced for Friday

Gov. Kristi Noem has ordered state government offices remain closed across most of the state on Friday. Offices will close in Hanson, Hutchinson and McCook counties.

Offices will remain open in Bon Homme, Clay, Custer, Fall River, Lincoln, Minnehaha, Turner, Union and Yankton counties. Offices will also remain open in the western portion of Pennington County (including Hill City, Keystone and Rapid City).

While executive branch offices in the rest of the state will be closed, employees will work remotely.

Officials continue to closely monitor the winter storm, which features continued snow accumulations, high winds, falling temperatures, and blowing and drifting snow making traveling conditions dangerous.

People in these counties are encouraged to stay home Friday if possible. If they must travel, they should check sd511.org or the SD511 mobile app.

State offices in four counties closing as weather worsens

Gov. Kristi Noem has ordered all state government executive branch offices in four eastern South Dakota counties to close immediately, due to deteriorating weather and road conditions.

The counties are Brookings, Lake, Miner and Moody.

State officials continue to monitor the storm. A decision on state government office availability for Friday will be made later today.

A news release from the governor’s office said people should stay home if possible. Portions of interstates 29 and 90 are closed, and many secondary roads are impassable.

I-90 closing from Rapid City to Wyoming again

Interstate 90 (both eastbound and westbound) will close from Rapid City to the Wyoming state line beginning at 10 a.m. Mountain/11 a.m. Central today, according to the state Department of Transportation.

This section of I-90, which was previously closed Tuesday and reopened Wednesday, is being closed once again due to continued snow and sustained high winds causing low visibility and excessive drifting.

The new closure adds to an existing I-90 closure from Rapid City to Mitchell.

The exception is Interstate 90 within the Rapid City metro area (exit 55 to exit 67), which will be open for local travel. Motorists are reminded that many no-travel advisories are in place on state highways throughout the state. Secondary highways are impassable in many locations.  For the latest on road and weather conditions, visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

Noem announces state office openings and closings for Thursday

Gov. Kristi Noem has ordered state government offices to be closed in Davison County and opened in several regions of the state on Thursday:

• In the southeastern part of the state, offices will open in Brookings, Lake, Miner and Moody counties.
• In the western part of the state, offices will open in Custer and Fall River counties, as well as in the western portion of Pennington County (including Hill City, Keystone and Rapid City).

“Although offices are open in these counties, state employees should be smart,” Noem said in a news release. “If they live rurally and need to travel on roads that have ‘no travel advised’ by SD511, they should work with their supervisors to work remotely.”

Offices will remain open in Bon Homme, Clay, Hanson, Hutchinson, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Turner, Union and Yankton counties.

While executive branch offices in the rest of the state will be closed, employees will be working remotely.

Officials continue to closely monitor the storm, which features heavy snow, freezing rain and high winds. A decision on state government office availability for Friday will be made Thursday.

People are encouraged to stay home Thursday if possible. If they must travel, they should check sd511.org or the SD511 mobile app.

State closing new sections of I-90 and I-29

Due to the continued impact of the winter storm moving through the state, state officials are adjusting closures on Interstate 90 and Interstate 29.

I-90

The section of I-90 from Rapid City to Chamberlain has been closed since Tuesday and remains closed. At 4 p.m. Mountain/5 p.m. Central today, the state is also closing the section from Chamberlain to Mitchell. The combination of newly developing snow and sustained winds will make I-90 impassable during the evening and overnight hours, according to the state Department of Transportation.

Truck parking is full in Chamberlain. State officials ask that semi drivers consider long-term parking options between Sioux Falls and Mitchell, east of the interstate closure.

Meanwhile, the section of I-90 from Rapid City to Wyoming has reopened, but travelers should expect to encounter slippery road conditions with continued areas of blowing snow. Snow removal equipment will be working, and state officials urge caution when motorists approach snow removal equipment.

I-29

The section of I-29 from from Watertown to the North Dakota border will close at 7 p.m. Central today. The combination of newly developing snow and sustained winds will make I-29 impassable during the overnight hours, state officials said.

Section of I-90 reopens, but other interstate closures are planned

Interstate 90 remains closed from Chamberlain to Rapid City, but the previously closed segment from Rapid City to Wyoming has reopened.

Due to the continued impact of the strong winter storm system moving through the state, the South Dakota Department of Transportation said in a news release that it anticipates closing I-90 from Chamberlain to Mitchell later today, and also anticipates closing I-29 from Watertown to North Dakota later today.

I-90 update 

Since Tuesday, I-90 had been closed (westbound and eastbound) from Chamberlain to the Wyoming state line.

As of noon Mountain/1 p.m. Central today, Interstate 90 from Rapid City to the Wyoming state line has reopened. Travelers should expect to encounter slippery road conditions with continued areas of blowing snow. Snow removal equipment will be working. Extra caution is advised when approaching snow removal equipment.

Assessment of conditions and forecasts is ongoing. At this point, the I-90 closure from Rapid City to Chamberlain is expected to remain in place overnight.

Officials anticipate closing I-90 from Chamberlain to Mitchell late afternoon or early evening today. The combination of newly developing snow and sustained winds will make I-90 impassable during the evening and overnight hours.

Truck parking is full in Chamberlain. Officials ask that semi drivers consider long-term parking options between Sioux Falls and Mitchell areas east of the closure.

I-29 update 

Officials anticipate closing I-29 (both northbound and southbound) from the city of Watertown to the North Dakota border late afternoon or early evening today. The combination of newly developing snow and sustained winds will make I-29 impassable during the evening and overnight hours.

Road conditions across the state

Accumulating snow and strong winds will continue to make secondary highways impassable over an extended period of time with many state highways posting no-travel advisories. Many vehicles have become stuck and stranded in an attempt to travel on these state highways to avoid interstate closures. These vehicles will create hazards for snowplow operators and may delay getting the sections of highway cleared.

State officials are asking people to avoid travel. For the latest on road and weather conditions, visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

Scheduled flights resume at Rapid City Regional Airport

Weather Update: Scheduled flights have resumed for 12/14/2022. Please visit https://t.co/xn0AAivzdJ for updates. pic.twitter.com/qkuhhn8AcM

— RC Regional Airport (@RCAirport) December 14, 2022

Noem closes state offices Wednesday in all but 11 counties

Gov. Kristi Noem ordered state government executive branch offices in all but 11 southeast counties to stay closed Wednesday because of the winter storm that continues to impact the majority of the state, the governor’s office said in a news release.

State offices will be open for normal business hours in Bon Homme, Clay, Davison, Hanson, Hutchinson, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha, Turner, Union and Yankton counties. Officials say weather and travel conditions are not as severe in those counties as they are elsewhere.

While executive branch offices in the rest of the state will be closed, employees will work remotely. All of the state’s executive branch offices were closed Tuesday by an earlier order from Noem.

Officials continue to closely monitor the storm, which features heavy snow, freezing rain and high winds. A decision on state government office availability for Thursday will be made Wednesday.

People are encouraged to stay home Wednesday if possible. If they must travel, they should check sd511.org or the SD511 mobile app, state officials said.

I-90 closure extended from Rapid City to Wyoming line

A closure on Interstate 90, both eastbound and westbound, is planned from Rapid City to the Wyoming state line beginning at 2 p.m. Mountain/3 p.m. Central today, according to the state Department of Transportation.

An earlier closure of I-90 from Chamberlain to Rapid City was made during the morning hours today. So, as of 2 p.m. Mountain/3 p.m. Central, I-90 will be closed from Chamberlain to Wyoming.

The Department of Transportation will continue to monitor the storm track. In addition to the extended I-90 closure, motorists are reminded that many no-travel advisories are in place on state highways throughout the central and western part of the state.

Secondary highways will also become impassable during the duration of this winter storm. Be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions with this complex storm system. Travel will be difficult to nearly impossible at times.

For the latest on road and weather conditions, please visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

All departures canceled from Rapid City Regional Airport

Weather Update – All Departures from Rapid City Regional Airport for Tuesday 12/13/2022 have been cancelled.
Please contact the airline you booked with for assistance with rescheduling. pic.twitter.com/q7feff5RJX

— RC Regional Airport (@RCAirport) December 13, 2022

I-90 closing from Chamberlain to Rapid City

Due to freezing rain, heavy snow and high winds, Interstate 90 will be closed both eastbound and westbound from Chamberlain (exit 265) to Rapid City (exit 67) beginning at 9 a.m. Mountain/10 a.m. Central today, according to a news release from the state Department of Transportation.

Motorists should be aware that the department will continue to monitor the storm track and anticipates closing I-90 this afternoon from Rapid City to the Wyoming border and from Mitchell to Chamberlain.

In addition to the interstate closure, motorists are reminded that many no-travel advisories are in place on state highways throughout the central and western part of the state.

Secondary highways will also become impassable during the duration of this winter storm.

Travel will be difficult to nearly impossible during this storm system.

For the latest on road and weather conditions, visit https://sd511.org or dial 511.

Noem closes state offices

Gov. Kristi Noem has ordered all state government executive branch offices statewide to be closed Tuesday because of the winter storm expected in South Dakota.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for freezing rain, heavy snow and high winds to occur throughout South Dakota. Travel will be impacted in those areas.

Officials continue to closely monitor the storm. A decision on state government office availability for Wednesday will be made on Tuesday, the governor’s office said in a news release.

People should be prepared to stay home Tuesday if possible, the news release said. If they must travel, they should check sd511.org or the SD511 mobile app.