Brookings Digs Out After First Big Blizzard

The wind, snow, and cold didn't keep people from cleaning their driveways Sunday in Brookings after snow hit the northeastern South Dakota city hard.

Homeowners in the area say they’re just happy to have some sort of precipitation on the ground.

The city of Brookings is covered in white after this storm. The area received just under nine inches of snow, but in drifts you can find feet.

"The snow is beautiful! We need more, about 4-feet more because my children want a lot of show this year," Brookings resident Charles Bingen said.

After a mild winter in 2011, Brookings residents said this is the first big snow storm in a while. Longtime resident Harold Widvey said this snow was far more than he expected today.

"I’m trying to get enough snow removed so I can get my car out of the garage, I got up this morning and everything is absolutely covered and filled," Widvey said.

Many people were traveling through on I-29 before it closed. Multiple reports said that very few hotels rooms were available.

Perkins Family Restaurant braved the storm; managers there said they were more than happy to help those who were stranded.

"We'll let them stay here, we'll call the hotels for them and get tem a place to stay," General Manager Brian Haggerty said.