WeatherFoggySunriseExit296Jamestown (CSi)  The Christmas weekend blizzard of 2016 led to changes in travel plans, as a Christmas Day ice storm followed by a blizzard with heavy snow and high winds, was in effect most of the weekend.

The National Weather Service cancelled the Blizzard Warning about 5-p.m. Monday, however a large section of I-94 remained closed,reopening between Jamestown and Fargo late Monday afternoon.  I-29 between Grand Forks and Canada reopened, Monday afternoon.

The NDDOT continued travel alerts, and no travel advisories as roadways remained blocked and ice covered.

On line go to CSiNewsNow.com for road report updates.

Power outages were numerous, from a half inch of freezing rain that coated power lines, and tree branches that had fallen on power lines that started Christmas afternoon  and continued overnight mixed with rain, sleet, and then all snow as temperatures dropped.

The Jamestown City Fire Department was called out about 5-p.m., Christmas evening to a fire caused by a tree limb coming down bringing down a power line.

Power outages were reported Christmas evening in Northeast and Southeast Jamestown.  Power was restored in Northeast Jamestown after about an hour outage.  A section of Southeast Jamestown was without power between 4:27-p.m., and 6:58 -p.m.

300-plus electric customers of Cass county Electric were without power Christmas evening in Barnes County.  Most of the customers without power were in the Rogers, and Lake Ashtabula areas.

On Tuesday morning, Cass County Electric reported that  around 80 customers are still without power in Barnes County.

On Tuesday, Dakota Valley Electric Cooperative spokesperson Pat Schaffer says crews in the field estimate that more than 150 poles have been broken, with more than 50 down in the Forbes area alone.

By Monday, power in Nortonville and Jud was back on, however, power around Leal, Rogers, Dazey and part of Sanborn that had been  without electricity since Sunday night, continued with outages Monday, and it was unknown when the power would be restored as  power lines causing the outages were not easily accessible.

On Monday, Otter Tail  crews continued repairing lines between Valley City and Litchville. Isolated outages remained near Montpelier and Eldridge.

 

The National Weather Service reported the ice storm/blizzard in Jamestown dumped 1.43 inches of moisture, with eight inches of snow.

The peak blizzard wind gust early Monday morning was 51 MPH.

Jamestown city street crews were removing snow on arterials and Emergency Snow Route beginning a 4-a.m., Monday followed by residential snow clearing, and the clearing snow in the business district downtown late Monday night and overnight.

In Valley City, full snow removal operations  start Tuesday, December 27, 2016 at midnight.

Public Works Director Jeff Differding says crews have cleared and sanded  emergency routes.

Crews will first clear snow in downtown Valley City and near  school’s  and begin to move snow in the southeast part of town then work clockwise to the southwest, northwest and finish in the northeast section of the city.