Parts of I-29, I-90 remain closed until Friday amid massive no travel advisory

Portions of I-29 and I-90 will remain closed until Friday and a large swath of South Dakota continues to be under a "No Travel Advisory" as the state remains in the grip of a widespread winter storm.

Icy roads have resulted in one fatal crash. According to the South Dakota Highway Patrol, three people were killed and two others were hurt when a car lost control on slippery roads and crashed into a pickup near Parkston Wednesday morning.

State officials are advising against travel in nearly the entirety of the state west of the James River Valley, according to the Department of Transportation's 511 road conditions map. Driving conditions in the rest of the state are also poor. The map shows all roads not under the advisory - including the Big Sioux River Valley and the southern Black Hills - as slippery and potentially snow-covered.

I-90 from Mitchell to the Wyoming state line and I-29 from Watertown to the North Dakota border were closed Thursday. Officials said the closures will continue into Friday.

South Dakota Dept. of Transportation

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SDPB

“Motorists need to understand that while we cannot physically close secondary highways, in many cases these roads are in worse condition than the Interstates,” said DOT Director of Operations Craig Smith. “We’ve had countless vehicles become stuck and stranded on secondary state highways in the motorist’s attempt to avoid an Interstate closures. Stranded vehicles create personal risk for the motorist and extreme hazards for snowplow operators.”

Officials are asking truckers to find long-term parking in Brookings or Sioux Falls. Truck parking in Watertown is full.

The South Dakota Department of Safety took the step of using the state's Emergency Alert System to send notifications to individuals' phones statewide asking them to avoid driving. DPS spokesperson Tony Mangan said the ongoing weather conditions warranted the use of the system.

The widespread winter storm has impacted travel statewide since it moved into the area Monday night into Tuesday morning. In the east, the system began as freezing rain turning to ice. Central and western parts of the state faced heavy snow and strong winds. As of Thursday morning, high winds are causing visibility problems statewide.

The combination of new snow with wind will make travel difficult throughout Thursday into Friday, according to the National Weather Service. The system will be followed by "very cold temperatures" much of next week.

Weather resources

• Rapid City National Weather Service forecast center
• Aberdeen NWS forecast center
• Sioux Falls NWS forecast center
• Check the latest road conditions in South Dakota here