SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — About this time last year the South Dakota Department of Transportation had closed Interstates 90 and 29 in South Dakota at least 38 times, according to the DOT. That was for the winter of 2022-2023.

From Dec. 12, 2022, through April 6, 2023. the number had grown to at least 45.

It’s a different story this winter.

Based on the SD DOT news releases, weather closed an interstate once from Oct. 1 through 10:30 a.m. today. Interstate I-90 from Mitchell to Rapid City closed on Christmas Day until 10 a.m. CT on Dec. 26. The SD DOT did issue no travel advisories on Jan. 13 for the southern part of the state with the announcement that some secondary roads would like be closed because of snow and win.

A look back at March 2023 shows closures on March 21 and March 17.

Interstate 29 closed on  Tuesday, March 21. I-29 from Watertown (exit 177) to the North Dakota state line closed at 7 p.m. because accumulating snow caused hazardous driving conditions, according to the SDDOT. I-29 opened Wednesday morning.

  • I-29 near Brandt at about 10:30 a.m. March 25. SD DOT camera photo
  • I-29 near Ward at about 10:30 a.m. March 25. South Dakota DOT photo.
  • I-29 near Junction City at about 10:30 a.m. March 25. SD DOT camera photo

The northbound and southbound lanes of I-29 were closed from Sioux Falls (Exit 84) to the North Dakota border on March 17. The eastbound and westbound lanes were also closed on I-90 from Sioux Falls to Chamberlain (Exit 395) on the same day. The closures were in the evening.

When an Interstate closes, drivers may get try another path to reach their destination. Law enforcement officials cautioned drivers during the winter of 2022-2023 to pay attention to road closures and weather reports and not to navigational devices that may show alternate routes.

“I think the biggest problem we have is when the interstate closes and (online map app) reroutes them to county roads or highways. (Drivers) aren’t paying attention to road closures,” Shane Croeni, the sheriff of Hand County in Miller, said in an April 3, 2023, KELOLAND News story.

Brown County Sheriff Dave Lunzman said in the same story that the winter brought out plenty of local drivers who think ‘my vehicle can get through anything.’ But the vehicle gets stuck.

The SD DOT said in a Jan. 3, 2023, KELOLAND News story, that deciding to close interstates is a cooperative process between the DOT, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety and the Highway Patrol.

“We get questions — when the roads are just icy and slippery — as long as visibility’s good and vehicles aren’t getting stuck, we’re generally gonna leave the interstates open,” Smith said in the Jan. 3, 2023, story. “It’s the high snow, drifting and low visibility that are gonna cause closure conditions.”