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<br />Blizzards and Severe Winter Storms <br />The National Climate Data Center recorded 134 significant snow and ice storms within <br />the Planning Area over the past 53 years. <br /> <br /> <br />-.. .. r~. ~ "V 1 <br /> <br />.. '. .;r1..~j ....;' ..' <br />'lit. ,.. <br />'. ..-'~-- ~- <br />BIIII-'IO e>I "'~llth 1~1I. iXIUIl~t(lol II... ~ Lc>dQH <br /> <br />Blizzards and severe winter storms cover large land areas, impacting multiple counties <br />concurrently. The impacts throughout the planning area are generally the same. <br />Interstates and secondary roads are often closed because the road crews cannot "keep up" <br />with the rate of snowfall; to prevent motorists from being stranded and necessitating <br />rescue efforts; and to maintain the safety of the road crews. When the Interstate highways <br />are closed, this action cuts the provision of primary supplies (gasoline and food) to the <br />communities, and also strands thousands of motorists who were "passing through" for up <br />to several days. In many cases, when the hotel rooms in one community "fill up," the <br />interstates are then closed back to the next community with available lodging. This is to <br />prevent over-burdening of communities already hosting motorists, and to keep those still <br />enroute from becoming stranded "in between." <br /> <br /> <br />30 <br />