February winter storm: Ongoing updates

Check here for updated information as the latest winter storm progresses.

Thursday updates

Due to the snow and wind ending early, plowing in Zone 3 will begin Thursday after 10:30 a.m., after emergency routes have been cleared. All streets in Zone 3 will be plowed. All vehicles parked in Zone 3 are subject to ticketing and towing during snow plowing operations until the streets have been plowed.

Ticketing and Towing: Any vehicle parked in violation of the snow removal ordinances may be ticketed and/or towed after streets have been cleared.

Empire Mall closure

The Empire Mall will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday. As of now, the plan is to open normal business hours Thursday.

Wednesday update

The worst of the storm hasn’t hit Sioux Falls yet, but city officials said they’re preparing to respond to a long-duration event.

“It’s been a rough winter. We continue to fight through it,” said Dustin Hansen, street operations manager.

Crews likely will be on 24-hour shifts at least through Sunday.

“We will call a snow alert today, but it might be some time before we get into those residential streets because of drifting on the emergency routes,” Hansen said.

A snow alert was issued shortly after noon, and plowing will start on emergency snow routes. Find details on plowing timelines at siouxfalls.org/snowalert.

A new snow removal tracker is being used with this storm. It’s activated when the city calls a snow alert and will track, with about an hour delay, which streets have been addressed.

A street will be shown in red if it hasn’t been cleared yet, in yellow once it’s in process, and it will turn green once there have been four passes over it.

“It will be a nice map for the citizens to check their street,” Hansen said.

Click here to see the new tracker.

Residents are reminded not to blow or shovel snow from driveways and sidewalks into the street and to help neighbors with snow removal and clearing fire hydrants.

Police Lt. Andrew Siebenborn estimates he made it 11 feet to the end of his driveway before his squad car got stuck.

“I sold myself out online on our social media page and let everyone see me stuck,” he said, adding his vehicle “doesn’t look that cool when it’s stuck in a snowdrift. Don’t be like me and get stuck in those drifts.”

While it hasn’t gotten too bad within the city yet, on the edge of town “visibility is down, drifting is bad, and we’re not into the bad part of the storm yet,” Siebenborn said.

“We expect it to get a lot worse.”

Stay home unless you need to travel, he said.

“It’s not worth the risk to yourself, and if you do get stuck, obviously someone has to come get you.”

For other Sioux Falls snow-related updates, click here.

Road impact

The following interstate closures are planned beginning Tuesday:
• I-29 will be closed from the North Dakota state line to Brookings at 8 p.m.
• I-29 will be closed from Brookings exit 132 to Sioux Falls exit 84 at 10 p.m.
• I-90 will be closed from Sioux Falls exit 395 to Mitchell exit 332 at 10 p.m. It’s also now closed east to Worthington, Minnesota, and west of Mitchell to Vivian.

A blizzard warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for much of the state on Wednesday, “with heavy accumulating snow totals and sustained high winds expected to cause blizzard-like conditions and extensive drifting,” according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation. “With conditions approaching near zero visibility and significant drifting of snow, SDDOT anticipates additional sections of Interstate 90 and Interstate 29 will be closed on Wednesday morning as the system moves across the state.”

No-travel advisories also are expected to be placed on secondary highways throughout South Dakota because of high winds, blowing snow and low visibility associated with this winter storm system.

Drivers should not use secondary highways to avoid interstate closures. Significantly reduced visibility and blizzard-like conditions, along with extreme wind chills, will make travel very dangerous over the next few days.

For the latest on road and weather conditions, visit sd511.org or dial 511.

Health care closures

Avera Medical Group clinics in Sioux Falls and Brandon will be closed Wednesday and Thursday and will reopen Friday at 10 a.m. Check the website for updates. All scheduled dialysis appointments, procedures, surgeries and diagnostic testing will be performed as scheduled, unless otherwise arranged by the patient’s provider.

Due to clinic closures, urgent care hours are being extended.

Urgent care at Avera Medical Group Family Health Centers at Dawley Farm and Marion Road will be open:

• Wednesday from 1 to 9 p.m.
• Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Avera Urgent Care at 69th and Western will be closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Orthopedic Urgent Care will close at noon Wednesday and reopen at 10 a.m. Friday.

All Sanford Health clinics in Sioux Falls and surrounding communities will close at noon Wednesday. Clinics will remain closed Thursday and will reopen for normal business hours Friday.

This includes clinics in Brandon, Harrisburg, Hartford and Lennox as well as adult and pediatric outpatient therapy appointments.

All scheduled dialysis appointments, procedures, surgeries and diagnostic testing will be performed as scheduled, unless otherwise arranged by the patient’s provider.

Extra providers will be available for on-demand virtual care visits during the winter storm for acute care appointments. Patients can schedule a virtual care appointment by visiting mysanfordchart.org.

If patients need to be seen in person for an acute care illness, Sanford 26^th & Sycamore Acute Care Clinic and Sanford 32^nd & Ellis Acute Care Clinic will be open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.

For a complete list of Sanford Health closures because of the winter storm, visit Sanfordhealth.org/weather-updates.

Airport impact

Airlines canceled many flights Tuesday and most for Wednesday at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport before the airport announced at midday Wednesday that it was closed and expected to reopen at noon Thursday. Click here for the latest updates.

Business closures

The best rule for now: Check with businesses before venturing out to ensure they’re open. Many banks are planning to be closed for in-person access, for instance. Restaurants also are beginning to announce Wednesday closures, including Grille 26, Minervas in downtown Sioux Falls and Morrie’s Steakhouse.

The Midco Aquatic Center is closed Wednesday and Thursday and plans to reopen at 10 a.m. Friday. The Washington Pavilion and Orpheum Theater also are closed Wednesday and Thursday.

Here’s GreatLIFE Fitness Center’s policy:

• By 9 p.m. the day before, GreatLIFE will announce if 5 and 6 a.m. classes are canceled and if the facilities will be staffed or opened.
• By 6 a.m. the day of, GreatLIFE will announce if 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. classes are canceled, if child care will be opened or if facilities will close early.
• By noon the day of, GreatLIFE will announce if the remainder of the classes for the day are canceled and if child careor facilities will close early.

Xcel advice

Xcel Energy is gearing up additional crews in case of power outages.

Report your outage

Customers can help Xcel get a jump on power restoration by reporting outages using the following:

• Through the My Xcel Energy mobile app, available in the Apple App Store and through Google Play.
• Online at xcelenergy.com/out.
• By calling 800-895-1999 and following the prompts — the automated phone reporting system lets customers report outages in less than 60 seconds. Once the cause of the problem is identified, the system or an Xcel Energy representative will provide customers with an estimated restoration time when available.

Stay informed

If outages occur, it’s important for customers to have access to the most recent updates about their power restoration. Customers can stay informed by using the My Xcel Energy mobile app or visiting the Xcel Energy website. The website hosts an outage map that displays information on the number of customers out and anticipated time for restoration when available.

Build a home emergency kit

Xcel recommends assembling an easily accessible kit that can be used in the event of a power outage. Useful items may include:

• • Xcel Energy phone numbers: 800-895-1999 for residential or 800-481-4700 for business
  • Battery-powered radio or television
  • Flashlights
  • Batteries
  • Backup phone chargers
  • Phone that does not require electricity
  • Nonelectric alarm clock
  • Bottled water and nonperishable food
  • Manual can opener
  • First aid kit
  • Extension cords for partial outages
  • Manufacturer’s instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors such as garage doors

Heating safety

When using a space heater, make sure the heater has the label showing it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory, and read the manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels. Additionally, inspect heaters for cracked or broken plugs and connections; don’t use it if they are frayed, worn or damaged. Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when leaving a room, and don’t go to sleep with a space heater on.

Observe food safety

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food safety is directly related to the temperature of the food. To maintain refrigerator and freezer temperatures, keep doors closed as much as possible. A full freezer will stay at freezing temperatures for approximately two days and a half-full freezer approximately one day. Visit the USDA website for information.