8-Foot Drifts; 50,000 Without Power

The season's first blizzard has dropped nearly two feet of snow, accompanied by 70-mph winds creating eight-foot snow drifts in the Northern Plains, according to this article. Fifty-thousand are without power in eastern South Dakota alone. Minnesota and Nebraska were also affected.

Photo Gallery User
jeromemck in MN
Got 4" Of Snow

Here are some of the greatest hits from this storm:

Heavy Snow* (Over 13" Shown):
KENNEBEC, SD: 20.0"
ARNOLD CUSTER, NE: 15.0"
GREGORY, SD: 14.0"
ANSELMO CUSTER, NE: 14.0"

High Snow Drifts (Over 4' Shown):
Wagner, SD: 8 Foot Drifts
Chamberlain, SD: 6 Foot Drifts
Oneill, NE: 6 Foot Drifts
Avon, SD: 5 Foot Drifts
Gregory, SD: 5 Foot Drifts

High Winds (Over 70 MPH):
BROKEN BOW, NE: 74 MPH
VALENTINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NE: 73 MPH
BIG SPRINGS, NE: 72 MPH

*The National Weather Service notes, and this is a fair assessment:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO ACCURATELY MEASURE SNOW AMOUNTS UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

PHOTO CAPTION:A motorist travels north on Highway 281 in near whiteout conditions Monday, Nov. 28, 2005, near Aberdeen, S.D. (AP Photo/Doug Dreyer)