Updated Nov. 7, 2019 6:31 AM
Snowplows were commissioned for the first time this season in many areas throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. For numerous unfortunate drivers, the mix of snow and icy conditions caused disruptions and accidents, at least one of which was fatal.
In the accident pictured above, the South Dakota Highway Patrol shared that the "driver of this sedan lost control of his vehicle after hitting a patch of ice on a bridge."
"The vehicle slid across the interstate median and was struck by a semi," the state highway patrol said on Twitter tweeted, adding that neither driver nor the passenger were wearing seatbelts and suffered "life-threatening injuries" in the crash.
Another accident on an Interstate 229 bridge in Sioux Falls resulted in a fatality on Tuesday night. Police said the individual's vehicle rolled over and another person was injured in the crash.
"A 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee was northbound on Interstate 229 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while traveling across the Big Sioux River bridge. The Jeep left the roadway, rolled down a ditch and struck a tree," the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said in a statement. "The 15-year-old driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 16-year-old passenger sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to a Sioux Falls hospital. The passenger’s seatbelt use is under investigation."
A photo captured by a snowplow dashcam on Wednesday morning in Minnesota (Twitter / Minnesota Department of Transportation)
The light snow and freezing rain came by way of an Alberta Clipper, which swiftly swept across the region. The quick-hitting storm began on Tuesday night as the system dipped into the northern Plains and coated the region with up to an inch of snow.
In Wisconsin, the midnight snow triggered the need for plows to clear the streets and apply salt before commutes began on Wednesday morning. Snow began falling in Madison, the state's capital, on Wednesday morning and reports of traffic disruptions began immediately.
"Individuals on the roads for their Wednesday morning commute should anticipate slippery conditions," Charlie Romines, the Madison Streets Division Superintendent, told WMTV. "Some of the heavier periods of snowfall are expected to fall around the time of the morning rush hour, which increases the likelihood for commuters to encounter slick spots."
There are reports of slide offs across Dane County this morning because of the snow: the majority are happening to the SOUTH and WEST of Madison. Dispatch says a slideoff with injuries happened on US 151 near Mount Horeb overnight. @WISCTV_News3 #News3NowThisMorning
See Christina Lorey's other Tweets
In Minnesota, the Department of Transportation released a statement urging drivers to travel safely and reminding them to give snowplow drivers plenty of space. In the southeastern portion of the state, over 100 snowplows were prepared to hit the streets once snow began falling.
Dozens of roads were completely closed throughout the state for a time because of the snow, and multiple crashes and spinouts were reported on Wednesday morning.
Snowfall totals across the Minnesota and Wisconsin region were generally above three inches, with places like Brownsville and Ostrander, both in Minnesota, tallying 24-hour accumulations of 6 inches each through Wednesday afternoon.
AccuWeather meteorologists forecast the steady snow to continue spreading into Michigan through Wednesday before hitting northern Illinois and exiting to the east by Thursday morning. There, the storm could combine with a storm system in the South to potentially bring the first widespread accumulating snow of the season to the Northeast.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see the latest forecast for your region. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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