This Day in Weather History: March 11th

Weather History - March 11th

Local and Regional Events:

March 11-12th, 1991:

A developing winter storm centered to the south of the Black Hills caused heavy snow to fall on the northern Black Hills from the evening of March 11th until the morning of March 12th. Snowfall totals of 3-9 inches were reported, including 9 inches at Custer, 8 inches at Deerfield, and 8 inches at Lead.

March 11th, 2011:

A very intense low-pressure area moving across North Dakota brought widespread blizzard conditions to central and northeast South Dakota. The low-pressure area brought 1 to 3 inches of snowfall to the region. The new snow combined with 30 to 50 mph winds with gusts to 60 to 70 mph brought widespread whiteout conditions. Traffic was brought to a standstill, with many motorists being rescued and taken to a shelter. Hundreds of cars were stranded on mainly Highway 12 and Interstate 29. Two people traveling on Highway 10 in McPherson County told how they became stuck and were picked up by another vehicle and that it took them over 2 1/2 hours to travel just a few miles to safety. Interstate-29 was closed from Watertown to Sisseton from 6 pm on the 11th until noon on the 12th. Many events were affected, including the Girl's State Basketball Tournament in Watertown. There were several overturned semis and several vehicle accidents across the area. Some of the highest wind gusts included 56 mph at Watertown, 58 mph at Mobridge, Sisseton, and Faulkton, 59 mph at Aberdeen, 61 mph at Bowdle, 66 mph near Hillhead, and 71 mph west of Long Lake.