SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A strong early spring storm is striking KELOLAND today.

We have a little bit of everything with this storm.

Snowfall rates were at 2 inches an hour for some areas in western South Dakota Friday morning.

Downtown Rapid City already had 4 inches of snow as of 9 a.m. As of 4:30 p.m., the city reportedly had at least 9 inches. The heavy snow has been spreading across South Dakota throughout the day.

While the snow is already falling out west, the northeast experienced freezing rain Friday morning and the southeast had thunderstorms throughout the night.

While Sioux Falls is not in the blizzard warning, winds over 50 miles per hour are expected this evening so blowing snow will be a problem.

Winter Weather Alerts

Several weather headlines have been posted for Friday, including the ice storm warning in the Watertown and Milbank areas until 4 p.m. Power outages are expected throughout the day as the winds increase.

The ice will be a problem outside the warning area toward Huron and points southwest. Some areas can expect over 1/4″ of ice today.

A blizzard warning starts this morning for central SD for the counties shaded white, with those headlines expanding east of the James Valley late this afternoon into the evening.

Sioux Falls will be included in a winter weather advisory for this evening for blowing snow.

Snowfall totals

How much snow to expect depends on where you live.

The highest snowfall amount forecasted is in central KELOLAND. Pierre and Chamberlain fall in the 8-12 inch range.

Aberdeen, Watertown, Huron, Phillip, Rapid City, Custer and Pine Ridge are forecasted to have 4-8 inches of snowfall during this storm.

Winner residents should be prepared for 6-10 inches.

In Sioux Falls, only 1-2 inches of snowfall is forecasted, but again blowing snow will still be an issue.

SD road conditions

Road conditions across South Dakota could change quickly as the weather develops.

At 12 p.m. CT, the South Dakota Department of Transportation closed portions of Interstate 90 and announced plans to close Interstate 29.

Shortly after 4:00 p.m., another closure was announced by the DOT.  Interstate 90, will be closed from Chamberlain (exit 265) to Mitchell (exit 332) for 5:30 p.m., Friday, March 31, 2023. 

Here is the current list of closings:

• Interstate 90 (eastbound) will be closed from Rapid City (exit 67) to Chamberlain (exit 265); and closed from I-90 westbound from Chamberlain to Wall at 12 p.m. (noon) (CT)
• Interstate 90 (westbound ONLY) from Wall to Rapid City will remain open.
• Interstate 29 (northbound and southbound) is scheduled to close from Watertown (exit 177) to the North Dakota state line at 2 p.m. (CT)

No Travel Advisories are also in place on secondary highways throughout South Dakota due to high winds, blowing snow and low visibilities associated with this winter storm system.

Officials in Rapid City are reminding drivers to give themselves extra time if they’re traveling.

Emergency crews in the city are focusing their efforts on emergency routes, hills, schools, main lines and working into the residential areas, officials said Friday morning.

The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office posted photos of Interstate 90 near Wall, mile marker 109.

Visibility is low and roads are very slick, officials say.

In Brookings County, officials have responded to multiple vehicles that have slid off the roadways due to ice-covered roads.

Just before 10 a.m., the South Dakota Highway Patrol shared a photo of Interstate 90 near Vivian. While it appears clear at the time, troopers warn that could change as weather conditions change.

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

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 6 a.m., there were over 60 entries on the KELOLAND Closeline including Aberdeen, Brookings, Chamberlain, Huron and Gregory.

Several schools have also announced early closures including Mitchell, Ethan and Wagner.

Governor Kristi Noem announced certain state government executive branch offices would be closed Friday due to the winter storms.

Find the list of offices closed here.

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.