24 Hours Of Snow Creates Slick Spots On Roads

After more than 24 hours of constant snowfall, drivers are still dealing with slick conditions in some areas.  That is despite the fact that Department of Transportation crews have been working around the clock clearing off the roads.

Drivers on I-90 east of Sioux Falls spent much of the day dealing with slick conditions.  The scene was repeated on many highways and byways across the area.

We caught a driver on camera who tried to get back on the road after going into the median, but due to all the snow, the vehicle is stuck in its tracks. Even some drivers you'd expect to have a better handle on the slick conditions found themselves on the sidelines instead.

"We're seeing drivers, they think they didn't need to use four-wheel drive today.  Or if they have four-wheel drive they think, 'Well, I thought I could drive as fast as normal speed limit,'" Sgt. Robert Smitch with the South Dakota Highway Patrol said.

More than 24-hours of constant snow fall brought the Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol troopers out in big numbers.

"We had our crews out on the road on at 8 a.m. Thursday morning.  Storm lasted until about last night; we are just finishing up clean up duties now," Travis Dressen with DOT said.

The DOT says the biggest problem with this snow storm is how long it lasted.

"When we see that snow subsiding, we'll try to go out and start treating the roadway and start getting the compacted snow off the roads," Dressen said. 

From one call to another, Highway Patrol Troopers say they've seen a lot of holiday travelers off the roads or in the median. 

"They aren't accustomed to the snowy conditions and it's catching them off guard," Smitch said.

Both Highway Patrol troopers and DOT crews agree: call 511 or visit Safe Travel USA to check road conditions before you head out before you too spin out.     

The Sioux Falls Police Departments says its officers have worked more than 95 crashes calls since Thursday. The Highway Patrol tells KELOLAND News they've been on the scene of more than 45 crashes during the same period.