BISMARCK — A woman in Minot and a man in Watford City were found dead on Thursday, April 14, outside in the snow as western North Dakota was hit with a blizzard that shut down many businesses and roads. No foul play is suspected in either case.
On Thursday morning, officers were called to an area near the Minot post office and found a 73-year-old woman lying dead in the snow, the Minot Police Department said in a release. Authorities say the woman, a Minot resident, was not dressed adequately for the weather.
In Watford City on Thursday afternoon, officers responded to a call of a dead man lying outside in the snow on the 300 block of 25th Avenue Northeast, the Watford City Police Department said in a release. The 60-year-old man was dead when police arrived.
In both cases, authorities are withholding the person's identity until their families are notified. Officers are continuing to investigate both incidents.
Since Tuesday, April 12, parts of western North Dakota have received more than two feet of snow, with northwest Minot reporting the most snowfall in the state at 36 inches, according to the National Weather Service. The snowstorm shut down many roads in western North Dakota, including I-94 from the Montana border to Jamestown. Winds were also high amid the snowstorm, with some cities recording winds blowing at more than 60 miles per hour.
