SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Tuesday marks day two of a major winter storm in southern and eastern KELOLAND.

Heavy snow mixed with freezing rain at times continues to move north into southeastern KELOLAND.

More than 12 inches of snow was reported in Sioux Falls by mid-afternoon. Due to the large of amount of snow, Sioux Falls public schools will be closed on Wednesday to allow plows more time to get into residential neighborhoods. Classes were also canceled on Tuesday.

As of 1:30 p.m. CT Tuesday, Sioux Falls Police were asking people to travel only if absolutely necessary. On social media, police report cars, trucks and SUVs are still getting stuck on city streets in town. They ask people stay put until streets can be plowed so that you don’t have to get pushed out or wait for a tow.

Many businesses across the area have closed for the day.

All Sanford Health Sioux Falls metro clinics will be closing at 1 p.m. Tuesday due to the weather. Sanford 26^th & Sycamore Acute Care Clinic will remain open until 9 p.m. tonight, however.  

The Sioux Airport is closed Tuesday morning due to the extreme winter weather.

As of 11:15 a.m. CT on Tuesday, officials say the closure is until 9 a.m. CT Wednesday.

The winter weather is also impacting Sioux Area Metro this morning. Sioux Falls Area Metro announced via Facebook that all routes are suspended until further notice.

Snowfall totals

We had 5.5″ of snow yesterday around Sioux Falls and added even more on Tuesday.

As of 12 p.m. CT Tuesday, Lake Andes leads with 22 inches of snow already.

Close behind are Armour and Alexandria with 20 inches.

Sioux Falls is nearing the foot mark with 11.8 inches of snow at noon.

An impressive number of lightning strikes were part of the storm Tuesday morning. The lightning added to the intensity of the snowfall rates observed in southeastern KELOLAND.

The snow extends all the way into central Nebraska.

SD road conditions

Interstate 90, both eastbound and westbound, has been closed from Chamberlain to Sioux Falls, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.

I-29 has also been closed, both southbound and northbound from the I-90/I-29 interchange in Sioux Falls to Brookings.

The city of Sioux Falls is also advising no travel within the city. Sioux Falls Police said in a Twitter post: “Please avoid traveling if at all possible. There are multiple stranded vehicles across town that are taxing resources. If you get stuck there is a good chance there will not be a tow available for a long time to get you out.”

SDDOT snow plows are having difficulty clearing roads due to near zero visibility and accumulating snow, with some plows becoming stuck with the high accumulation of snow on the lanes of traffic.

As of 6 p.m. Tuesday night, SDDOT says Interstate 29 (northbound and southbound) has been reopened from the I-29/I-90 Interchange in Sioux Falls to Brookings. Interstate 90 (eastbound and westbound) will remain closed overnight from Chamberlain (exit 265) to Sioux Falls (Marion Road/exit 395).

SDDOT posted pictures of conditions on the interstate to social media. Vehicles were getting stuck on the road due to drifted snow.

High winds are creating low visibility in the area. 

In Minnehaha County, the sheriff’s office says country roads are in poor condition and expected to only get worse as more snow falls throughout the day.

The office urges people to stay home unless absolutely necessary.

Drivers can get an idea of what to expect on the South Dakota 511 website.

A winter survival kit for your vehicle can help in case of emergency or if you get stranded in blizzard conditions.

Some items to consider including in your survival kit are a blanket, hat, gloves, warm clothing, phone charger, first aid kit, shovel, snacks, flashlight, cat litter for traction, water, jumper cables and batteries.

KELOLAND Closeline

As weather conditions change, check the KELOLAND Closeline for the latest school and businesses closings across South Dakota. Several cities also put snow emergency information on the Closeline.

As of 4:10 p.m. CT Tuesday, there are more than 30 entries on the Closeline.

In addition to no classes for Sioux Falls students on Wednesday, there will also be no activities and no practices. 

Sioux Falls Snow Alert

The city of Sioux Falls issued a snow alert Tuesday morning.

Those are called after at least two inches of snow.

Plows focus on emergency snow routes first, then move into each of Sioux Falls’ three zones to clear all city streets. 

Zone 3: Plowing in Zone 3 will begin Tuesday evening, January 3, 2023, after emergency routes have been cleared. All streets in Zone 3 will be plowed.

Zone 2: Plowing of north/south streets will begin at 8 a.m. CT on Wednesday, January 4, 2022. All vehicles parked on north/south streets are subject to ticketing and towing until streets have been plowed or until 5 p.m. whichever is earlier. Although this requirement is in effect only until 5 p.m., any continuing snow removal operations may impact your use of the street for parking.

Plowing of east/west streets will begin at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4, 2022. All vehicles parked on east/west streets are subject to ticketing and towing until streets have been plowed or until 5 a.m., whichever is earlier. Although this requirement is in effect only until 5 a.m., any continuing snow removal operations may impact your use of the street for parking.

Zone 1: Snow pickup operations in Zone 1 will begin on Friday, January 6, 2023. Vehicles parked in Zone 1 will be subject to ticketing and towing between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Friday, January 6, 2023. During a snow alert, parking is prohibited in the downtown area between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.

All vehicles parked on emergency snow routes are subject to ticketing and towing once the snow alert is issued.

To find out what zone you live in, you can view the map on the city of Sioux Falls website. 

You can signup for snow alert messages by texting “SNOWALERT” to 888777 or signup on the city’s website.

Live cams

You can watch as the storm moves into South Dakota by visiting our KELOLAND Live Cam page. It includes views from more than 30 communities across our area so you can check as the weather changes.