Charles Crane/MDN Snow removal vehicles clear snow from city streets and parking lots on Thursday afternoon in the midst of the season’s first winter storm.

As Minot residents dug themselves out and scraped off the accumulated ice on Thursday morning, many got their first experiences with winter driving, which provided the more seasoned winter warriors in the area their annual opportunities to be good samaritans.

All Minot public schools were open Thursday but classes at South Prairie, Des Lacs/Burlington and Nedrose were canceled. Parents were given leeway to keep their children home if they didn’t feel comfortable driving through the slick drifts, with schools having prepared and sent students home with packets for a virtual learning day in advance of the coming storm.

The National Weather Service’s latest snowfall reports from Wednesday showed a little more than six inches of snow in Minot and 11 inches in Stanley. The Department of Transportation had cautioned drivers taking to the roads despite the conditions, causing crashes on highways throughout the state. Those who braved the streets in town had to contend with some ice and slickness, but city crews had been able to keep major routes relatively clear.

The Minot Public Works Department is responsible for 1,200 lane miles within the City of Minot, with snow removal processes governed by the City’s Snow Removal Plan. According to the latest City Snow Removal Plan, Public Works employees begin removing snow once accumulations reach four inches, working in 24 hour shifts.

City of Minot spokesman Bryan Obenchain said city snow removal crews were running with a full staff, with all eight blades out and running. Other than a single company contracted to clear snow on city-owned sidewalks, no additional contractors were required for this storm event, with Obenchain saying they’re typically reserved for more significant situations.

Obenchain said some newer recruits would be finishing training behind the wheel of some of the sand trucks as the team finished off the emergency routes on Thursday afternoon. Hilly areas such as the Bel Air neighborhood and near Jim Hill are up next, with other school and residential areas to follow. The unfortunate news for all, of course, was that more snow was projected to still be on the way, necessitating some return trips to keep streets clear.

The updated forecast from the National Weather Service in Bismarck expected the snow to ramp back up in Thursday afternoon and evening, lingering on into Friday morning. All told, the additional snow accumulation was forecasted to be two to six inches. Northwest and central North Dakota were expected to bear the initial brunt of the system’s second wave, with more than a foot of snow possible around Harvey and Carrington.

The tapering snow today will bring chilling temperatures in its wake, with a low of 9 degrees forecast for this evening. Highs of 23 during the day this weekend won’t take the edge off, prompting many local Trunk or Treat organizers to relocate or postpone their weekend Halloween festivities. The Boo at the Zoo event was among those cancelled, with the Roosevelt Park Zoo citing wind chill forecasts for Saturday that could drop down to zero degrees.