Sue Sitter/PCT Trucks large and small stop for diesel fuel at Rugby’s Envision Cooperative Cenex Station on U.S. Highway 2 during a snowstorm Nov. 10. Law enforcement officials recommend motorists leave for their destinations with full tanks of fuel in adverse winter weather conditions. 

In a matter of two weeks, Pierce County residents have seen mild fall weather disappear only to be replaced by snow, blustery winds and single-digit temperatures.

The first snow and ice of the season on area roadways have proved challenging even to drivers with years of experience behind the wheel.

In Jamestown on Wednesday, Nov. 9, a North Dakota Highway Patrol officer directing traffic around a jackknifed semi on an icy Interstate 94 had to jump away from his patrol vehicle as an out-of-control car slammed into the rear of the trooper’s SUV.

A statement by the North Dakota Highway Patrol said the crash was one of several that shut down the interstate’s westbound lanes for about four hours that day in Stutsman County.

Pierce County Sheriff Josh Siegler, who had been in Bismarck Nov. 9, said, “A lot of freezing rain started around Bismarck and Jamestown. It ramped up to some pretty ugly snowfall.”

Siegler offered advice to area drivers getting used to the change to winter road conditions.

“Just be cautious,” he said. “Be cautious of the other vehicles, your surroundings.”

“It seems every winter, with that first snow, it seems like we’re all new drivers again, just getting adjusted,” he said. “There’s going to be a certain amount of time to acclimate back to winter driving again.”

“So, just take your time,” he added. “Be careful. Especially now, be prepared for the winter months. Have your survival kit with you. Make sure your vehicle’s full of fuel when you’re traveling.”

“Have good winter clothing,” he added. “A lot of it is just being careful and maintaining the proper speed for the conditions.”

Winter driving means adjusting expectations for trips out of town.

“You’re going to have to allot yourself more time to get somewhere, especially if you’re traveling into a neighboring community like Minot, or Bismarck or Devils Lake,” he said. “You’re not going to make the same time you would when weather’s not optimal.”

In-city driving, especially in larger communities, takes some adjusting as well.

“With the conditions, you’re going to have to allot yourself more distance,” Siegler said of driving in heavier traffic.

“If you usually allot yourself two or three car lengths when you’re traveling at 25 miles per hour, go ahead and triple or quadruple that number because of the surface road conditions,” he added.

Prepare for conditions

Siegler noted winter weather and icy road conditions can sometimes cause vehicles to leave the road and end up in a ditch.

“In some of our rural areas, it’s important to have a full tank of fuel and a winter survival kit,” he said. “If you’re traveling on Highway 2 or the interstate or another four-lane highway, there are going to be people driving by who are going to stop and offer aid, versus Highway 3 or Highway 19 where there’s not as much traffic.”

“You’ll have to prepare in case you end up in a ditch,” he added.

“Make sure your cell phone’s charged if you’re going to be traveling a long distance, things like that, so you can reach out and communicate with people, call a tow truck or call a friend,” he said.

“You can call law enforcement, but unfortunately, due to our insurance, we’re not allowed to hook on and pull people out,” he said. “But, we can offer a warm vehicle to sit in until help arrives, whether it’s a family member or we can always give a courtesy ride to make sure people are safe.”

Siegler advised stranded motorists to stay with their vehicles in winter weather.

“It’s that time of year where exposure is going to create problems,” he said. “We’re in the winter months now, and when something like that happens, you can’t just get out and start walking.”

He said winter survival kits made a big difference for drivers facing challenges.

Siegler said winter survival kits should contain “warm clothes; it’s always nice to have a blanket or sleeping bag; a small amount of food and some sort of heat source, such as a lighter or matches.”

“There was a gentleman a few years back, there was a terrible, terrible storm and he ended up in the ditch on a less-traveled road, and he was out there for quite a period of time,” he recalled.

“He was a smoker and had a lighter with him. He ended up burning the garbage that was in his car to stay warm. It helped him. I can’t say he wouldn’t have survived without it, but it was a possibility.”

He added, “The DOT does an excellent job of providing travel maps that show road conditions, whether the road is closed, or there’s compacted ice or snow, or is seasonally good.”

Drivers can download and view the maps on their computers or smart phones at https://travel.dot.nd.gov.

Siegler suggested checking the map before leaving for a trip out of town in winter, noting law enforcement and DOT officials strive to keep people safe in adverse conditions.

“If we can help one person this winter season, we’re doing something right,” he said.