On Friday morning, as areas of the state were blanketed in more than a foot of snow, Amanda Lee, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D., said winds were gusting at about 40 to 45 miles per hour, and were expected to increase throughout the day.
There had not yet been any reports of power outages, she said, but it was “highly possible” because leaves were still clinging to the trees.
The storm was also packing heavy moisture, Ms. Lee said, which will make snow removal challenging.
“We get snow here,” she said. But, “we don’t usually talk in feet of snow.”
Another meteorologist for the service said Thursday that it was “the most difficult snow forecast and highest snowfall forecast of my 30 year career.”
Ahead of Denver’s first snowfall of the season, the city had been basking in 80-degree weather. But on Friday, temperatures were at a record low, according to the weather service.
Billings, Mont., also felt the quick frost, and some parts of the state reported up to 16 inches of snow, according to the Weather Service.
As of Friday, portions of north-central North Dakota braced for the brunt, where blizzard warnings went into effect through early Saturday afternoon.
As heavy snow and high winds reduced visibility to near zero, and icy roads became treacherous for drivers, the North Dakota Department of Transportation issued a “no travel” advisory Friday morning to the central region and northeastern portions of the state.
