Blizzard closes North Dakota roads and schools

Snow, strong winds and plunging temperatures moved into eastern Dakota and western Minnesota on Wednesday. The storm created difficult travel conditions early Wednesday with a large number of schools cancelling classes, including North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead.

The North Dakota Department of Transportation said Interstate 29 was closed, but reopened in both directions from the Canadian border to the state line of South Dakota.

That stretch of interstate, a distance of more than 250 miles (402 kilometers), had been closed because of drifting snow and areas of near zero visibility.

"Visibility has been anywhere from a quarter of a mile down to zero," said Jesse Janhner, Sheriff of Cass County in North Dakota.