Thousands remain without power in wake of ice storm in eastern North Dakota
Updated: 9:45 a.m.
Thousands of homes and businesses in eastern North Dakota remained without power Wednesday in the wake of freezing rain that left an inch of ice in some communities.
Sections of Interstate 29 were closed overnight due to ongoing icy conditions, but reopened Wednesday morning.
The National Weather Service office in Grand Forks reported ice accumulations from the storm were the greatest reported in its forecast area since the late 1990s.
Power outages
Otter Tail Power reported outages still affecting many North Dakota communities early Wednesday, particularly in areas west of Fargo, toward Jamestown.
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“We appreciate your patience in these wet and icy conditions, as we weren’t able to restore power to as many communities as we’d hoped,” the utility reported late Tuesday night. “Mother Nature simply wasn’t on our side. We’re taking our crews out of the field for the evening to rest for a safe tomorrow.”
On Wednesday morning, Otter Tail Power reported crews were back out “working to make repairs to dozens of broken poles and crossarms and restring line. We’re also breaking thick ice off lines to try to avoid any additional outages.”
Fargo-based Cass County Electric Cooperative reported more than 3,500 customers still without power as of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. The utility said the ice storm downed more then 100 power poles, and said other electric co-ops from around North Dakota were sending crews to help with repairs.
Interstate closures
Interstate 29 was closed overnight in both directions between Fargo and Grand Forks due to icy road conditions. North Dakota transportation officials also closed southbound I-29 between the Canadian border and Grand Forks due to icy conditions and vehicles in the ditch.
Both those closures were lifted Wednesday morning, though officials urged drivers to continue using caution in the Grand Forks and Fargo areas.
In northwest Minnesota, state transportation officials reported icy roads but no highway closures.
Lingering light snow and freezing drizzle continued to fall in parts of the Red River Valley early Wednesday. That’s expected to end during the morning hours.
This week’s precipitation has caused rivers in the region to rise, leading to an unusual late-December flood warning for the Red River at Fargo-Moorhead. Only minor flooding is forecast.