School canceled in Henning on Wednesday

By Tucker Henderson

Reporter

Last week’s snowstorm brought several inches of snow to the region during the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, Nov. 25. With an initial rain and then the second wave of precipitation as fluffy white snowflakes, early holiday traffic was affected last week.

Along with several business closures, local school districts including New York Mills, Wadena-Deer Creek, Henning and Perham-Dent among others, sent students home early during the storm. All after school activities were cancelled for Tuesday evening. Due to inclement weather school was canceled in Henning on Wednesday, as well as most of the other schools in the region who either didn’t have school or who had an e-learning day. 

The National Weather Service had announced earlier in the week a winter storm warning with heavy snow expected and total accumulations up to eight inches and wind gusts blowing as high as 25 miles per hour. While visibility was estimated to have dropped below the 1/4 mile mark due to large blowing snow and slippery road conditions due to the initial rain.

The storm warning, which ended in the early hours of Wednesday morning, proved to have been quite timely as a total of around six inches of snowfall made its way to blanket the ground in the Henning and Ottertail area and wind speeds were in the 20 mile per hour range. 

Otter Tail County snowplows were seen in the area in the early afternoon clearing county highways in order for students and workers to get safely home. The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department reminded those traversing snowy roads to turn on headlights, reduce speed, and leave early in order to reach their destination on time.

Minnesota State Patrol and local police were working to extricate jack-knifed semi trucks and trailers and passenger vehicles from ditches across the state as slippery conditions contributed to many ending up off the road. 

Just prior to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) issued a no travel advisory for all state and federal highways across West Central Minnesota. MnDOT snowplows worked tirelessly through the afternoon hours to make roads passable and the advisory was lifted later that evening with improved visibility, but conditions of compacted snow and ice on the roadways.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday traffic was certainly affected by road conditions, but thanks to the snowplow drivers and emergency personnel across the state, folks were able to get to their family festivities late last weekend.