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Law enforcement agencies are urging people to avoid travel as a major winter storm hammers the Sioux Falls area, stretching resources thin and slowing response times.
Nearly a foot of snow has been reported at the National Weather Service Sioux Falls station as of noon Tuesday, part of a major weather system that began affecting the area late Monday.
The Sioux Falls Police Department posted on Twitter asking that residents “please avoid traveling if at all possible,” adding vehicles stranded throughout the city were taxing the department’s resources.
“If you get stuck, there is a good chance there will not be a tow available for a long time to get you out,” the post continued.
Sioux Falls Police Department Capt. Jon Lohr said officers would be responding “in the best capacity we can” as the storm continued, and said once snowfall stopped and plows had better access to clear roads, responding to calls would become easier.
Still, “we’re gonna do what we need to do to get to somebody,” he added.
More:How much snow did Sioux Falls get so far Tuesday? Top snowfall reports in South Dakota
The Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office also put out a release Tuesday morning, calling travel in rural areas of the county “currently close to impossible,” with county plows reportedly unable to plow roads and tow trucks unable to respond to calls due to impassable roads and low visibility.
“The fewer vehicles we have on the roads, the better,” said Minnehaha Chief Deputy Sheriff Jeff Gromer.
Deputies and plow crows are working together to respond to emergencies, he said, and every vehicle on the road — trapped or not — makes it more difficult to clear a path.
Like Lohr, Gromer said faster response times were going to be completely dependent on when the weather eased up. While NWS reports show the heaviest snowfall has likely passed Sioux Falls, “light to moderate snow” is expected throughout rest of the day.
More:Sanford Health closing metro clinics in Sioux Falls because of Tuesday’s winter storm
The area is under a winter storm warning until 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to NWS. All of southeastern South Dakota is under a no travel advisory, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
Gromer praised both local and state plowing crews for putting in long hours to bring the roads back to a usable state.
“Driving those plow trucks, particularly when it’s like this, is not an easy job,” Gromer said.
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