MINOT — It was one for the record books. No question about that.
The blizzard that struck this week dumped up to 36 inches of snow over much of the Minot region. City of Minot residents found themselves trapped in their homes for several days due to the heavy snowfall whipped by winds up to 60 miles per hour. When blizzard conditions settled down, the big dig out began. And it was no easy task.
No part of the city was spared from the severity of the storm. Most businesses across the city were closed. That included downtown Minot where deep snow clogged Main Street and sidewalks alike.
However, by Friday afternoon some normalcy was emerging from the historic covering of snow. Snow removal crews had opened downtown streets, but traffic was minimal as many residents remained engaged in digging out their own properties.
A few vehicles were on downtown streets, some parked where possible. Others were driving slowly. As was the case throughout the city, drivers were exercising caution at intersections due to visibility hampered by huge piles of snow.
It was evident that many downtown merchants were doing their best to return to business as usual. A few businesses were open including some of the popular restaurants.
While the recent blizzard was certainly one for the records books and will be remembered by many for heavy snowfall and high winds, reasonably warm temperatures provided some misery index relief. Historically, sub-zero wind chills have characterized many North Dakota blizzards. Warm soil temperatures have proven helpful too, with many areas paved cleared of snow drying quickly.
How long the snow will remain is dependent upon temperatures and sun conditions. However, with so much snow on the ground even a period of above-zero temperatures will take some time to remove the snowpack. According to the National Weather Service, warm soil temperatures will melt the snowpack from the bottom up even if air temperatures remain near the freezing mark.
