After heading to the United States on Wednesday ahead of the latest Colorado Low, an overnight trip to document the late-winter blizzard became a three day adventure.

We were not exactly snowed-in — the anticipated snow ended up being freezing rain, forcing the closure of highways due to poor driving conditions. So we had no choice but to hunker down until Friday.

The irony is not lost on me — the weatherman missed the storm. Well, maybe not the storm, but the snow anyway.

If I controlled the weather, it would have been different. But I don’t, and things work out in a less-than-ideal way, so I’m leaving Fargo feeling more than a little embarrassed.

Fargo, N.D., got it’s fare shake of Winter Storm Ulmer, as I saw it called.

There was certainly more rain than snow and the winds were intense — over 90 km/h in Fargo and over 100 km/h in Aberdeen.

This weather map shows gusting winds blowing over the northern U.S. and southern Manitoba.

While a blizzard warning was in place Wednesday into early Friday morning, ice was the main factor around Fargo.

Parking lots, after the rain left massive puddles, froze over as temperatures fell. The highways were closed Thursday and once they opened on Friday, it was plain to see why they were shut down. Thick ice, formed from frozen slush, was still caked-on in sections of the highway not terribly far from Fargo.

The drive took us through smooth sections of highway as well as bumpy icy ones.

After being closed Wednesday and Thursday, roads north of Fargo were still treacherous due to frozen slush and ice patches

Overall, the drive was smooth from Fargo to Grand Forks, but very busy after having been shut down for so long.

We’ve heard lineups at the border are pretty lengthy from people heading in the opposite direction.

It’s worth the wait though.

It’ll be good to be home.

Source: Read Full Article