First Snowstorm of the Season Hits Bismarck | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 11/10/2012

Winter doesn`t officially start until late December but it sure does look like it all over the Capital City. Emergency responders have been busy since Friday afternoon and they`re cautioning drivers to stay off the road if possible.

It doesn`t look like the mild winter Bismarck had last year. And it`s not. Bismarck has already received eight inches of snow. Friday`s freezing rain left roads covered in ice, spelling trouble for drivers.

"It came at a bad, bad time. Everybody`s getting off of work and it just started to freeze really quickly and it kind of caught the public works guys off guard a little bit cause it froze so fast," said Lt. Dave Draovitch with the Bismarck Police Department.

"My daughter drove from Grand Forks last night and it took her five hours to get here and it was really bad," said Cheryl Aker, who lives in Bismarck.

Since 3:00 Friday afternoon, Bismarck police officers have responded to more than 50 accidents. Thankfully, nothing serious. Most were fender benders involving minor injuries.

Lt. Draovitch said, "It was so hard. Cars could not stop. They couldn`t get going. They were just sliding all over the place."

"It`s pretty slippery," Aker said. "I think the sand trucks- they`re doing a good job, but it`s unfortunate that they couldn`t get that you know melted down a little more before the snow came cause it`s really a wet snow."

Bill Gitter with Outdoor Services has been out since 4:00 Saturday morning clearing sidewalks.

"The ice makes it a lot more, but I mean we were out early and we got our problem solved so we don`t have that slippery stuff underneath the snow," he said.

Drivers in the Capital City are facing poor visibility and icy roads. Bismarck police officers say if it`s not an emergency, staff of the road.

"The first snowfall is not the best. May be pretty, but it`s not fun," Aker said.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation has issued a no travel advisory for the Bismarck area. Keep in mind that if conditions worsen, the DOT could close down certain roads.

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