Interstate highways shut down as winter storm intensifies

FARGO (KVRR) – Portions of North Dakota’s Interstate Highways will be closed this evening due to severe weather.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol says I-29 between Fargo and the South Dakota border is scheduled to close at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Interstate 94 between Bismarck and Fargo will close at 6:00 p.m.

Travel is becoming extremely difficult. “Sometimes it’s physically impossible to keep up with Mother Nature,” said North Dakota Highway Patrol Sgt. Wade Kadrmas.

He warned those who venture out to dress appropriately. Often, when motorists get stranded, “They don’t have a winter jacket. They might be wearing shorts and flip-flops, just thinking they’re going to get from point A to point B and nothing is going to go wrong,” he said.

The storm has closed highways stretching from Arizona to Minnesota and forced the cancellation of approximately 1,500 flights.