Highway 83 Standstill: A Traffic Nightmare Strands Vehicles Near Minot

MINOT, N.D. (KMOT) – UPDATE (9 p.m. on 1/15/25): Ward County Sheriff’s Captain Jason Kraft reported that Highway 83 remains very slippery as of 9 p.m.

Since 3:30 p.m., the sheriff’s office has attended to approximately six stalled vehicles south of Minot and a few additional ones to the north of the city. This does not include other vehicles that the North Dakota Highway Patrol managed throughout the day and evening. Kraft stated that one semi truck had jackknifed in the median near South Prairie School.

Max Public School announced on social media that, given the road conditions, classes would commence at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

The superintendent of South Prairie School mentioned that they would reassess the road conditions on Thursday morning prior to making any decisions.

ORIGINAL STORY (7 p.m. on 1/15/25): A no travel warning was issued Wednesday afternoon for Highway 83 around Minot, as many vehicles became trapped in ditches.

As reported by the North Dakota Highway Patrol, between 25 and 35 vehicles were immobilized south of Minot, while around 10 to 15 were stranded to the north of the city.

Local residents took to social media, indicating that the highway had frozen over, and advising others to avoid driving it.

The Patrol advised that if using the highway is essential, significantly reduce your speed, ensure your gas tank is full, wear appropriate clothing, and keep cell phones charged to be able to communicate with authorities if needed.

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