First storm packs a punch

Last week’s snowstorm on Tuesday not only brought the season’s first snowfall, but also brought the season’s first severe weather consequences. 

Heavy, wet snow in amounts totaling upwards of 12 inches and more blanketed the Hill City area causing poor travel conditions, school closures and power outages. According to the National Weather Service, downtown Hill City received  12 inches of snow, preceded by rainfall and ice, making road conditions around town extremely slippery.

City crews began at 5 a.m. last Tuesday to try and keep the roads as clear as possible throughout the day. They began at 2 a.m.  last Wednesday and worked long past 5 p.m. to try and clear the city’s streets. 

Hill City schools were closed on Wednesday as teachers and students alike were unable to travel on the early morning highways. The school’s maintenance crews also worked long hours to clear parking lots, sidewalks and playgrounds.

The storm began with rain on Monday and quickly turned to snow, which fell off and on throughout most of the day Tuesday and overnight Tuesday night. There are still several large tree branches that are busted from the weight of this early fall storm around town and around the Black Hills. Power outages around town and in the outlying areas were experienced even into Wednesday as Black Hills Energy crews worked to repair fallen lines from tree branches. Many yards are still cluttered with broken tree branches. 

Some locals stated that this storm reminded them of the Oct. 3-5 2013 storm Atlas that dumped over 24 inches of snow and hailed winds of up to 60 mph in the Hills and over 70 mph on the prairie. Atlas caused widespread tree damage and some area residents were without power in that 2013 storm for weeks.

Not only was the heavy snow and ice an issue with this latest storm, but wind gusts of up to 35 and 40 mph in the Hills caused even more breakage of both trees and power lines. Some power lines laden heavy with ice snapped under the strain of the weight coupled with the wind. Black Hills Energy crews were seen repairing damaged lines and removing tree branches in to Friday of last week. 

By midday on Wednesday, however, most Hill  City businesses had been dug out from the snow and were opened and ready for customers.