A winter storm impacted much of South Dakota on Monday, Christmas Day. Conditions in the Jerauld-Buffalo County area varied from whiteout to ice and rain with travel conditions deteriorating considerably Monday afternoon into Tuesday.
Strong north winds added to the blizzard conditions and the South Dakota Department of Transportation announced closures of Interstate 90 Monday afternoon. No Travel Advisories were placed on many state highways in central South Dakota including much of Highway 34 and 281.
Clean up crews in Wessington Springs were busy plowing through the six plus inches of heavy, wet slush early Tuesday morning, only to find a slick sheet of ice under the snowfall and wintry mix. Continued freezing rain and just-below freezing temperatures made for precarious conditions for motorists and pedestrians as they made their way to work Tuesday.