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'It could be the start of winter'

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Minot had about an inch of snow as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, said Jim Tarasenko, research specialist at the North Central Research Extension Center south of Minot.

Tarasenko said the moisture in that snow was 0.07.

Since Tarasenko did the weather readings Wednesday morning, more snow fell in Minot.

"It could be the start of winter," Tarasenko said.

The National Weather Service's forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of rain and snow today and a 20 percent chance of snow and sleet tonight. Friday still will have a slight chance of snow. But by Saturday, mostly sunny weather is expected.

Eloise Ogden

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Miserable driving conditions snarled area traffic throughout the morning and early afternoon hours Wednesday, keeping towing companies and law enforcement officers busy throughout much of the day.

Near Stanley, a one-vehicle rollover claimed the lives of two Mission, Texas, men who rolled a pickup truck on U.S. Highway 2 in icy conditions.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol said the crash occurred about 5:15 a.m. when the 2004 Ford F-250 pickup was being driven from Blaisdell to a gas plant east of Watford City. A 57-year-old man lost control in slippery conditions about one and a half miles east of Stanley and rolled the vehicle several times, winding up in the ditch.

The driver and his 30-year-old passenger, who were not wearing seat belts, were ejected from the vehicle. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver was transported to the Stanley hospital, where he later died due to the injuries he had suffered. Their names were not immediately released by the patrol.

A winter weather advisory blanketed the entire state Wednesday and was set to remain in effect through most of the day today.

The slippery road conditions were held mostly in check inside the city of Minot, as police called out city sand trucks shortly before 5 a.m. to help cope with rapidly deteriorating conditions as the snow fell.

Immediately outside Minot, however, conditions were treacherous at best, even on some roadways that carry regular and substantial amounts of traffic.

A garbage truck slid into the ditch in the 3000 block of 37th Avenue Southwest, while accidents occurred on U.S. Highway 83 both north and south of Minot. In addition, Ward County Sheriff's Department personnel and North Dakota Highway Patrol officers had their hands full for a few hours when a tractor-trailer jackknifed east of Berthold, blocking all eastbound travel lanes until busy towing personnel could move the semitrailer.

The National Weather Service in Bismarck forecast Wednesday afternoon that another few inches of snow were possible before morning. For today, snowfall might continue through the morning, changing to rain and snow in the afternoon. Highs are predicted to reach the 30s today, then drop to the low 20s overnight.