Eds: UPDATES with 2 inches in southwest ND; APNewsNow.

States:ND; US:; Intl:; Fmts:Print, Online, Broadcast; Other:CER BNC; ContentType:Spot Development; ContentElement:FastStory; Breaking:True; usac/roaming login/pmensing fasst392 Bismarck, N.D. (AP) North Dakota is getting a taste of winter.

Lori Eagon, who works at the Super Value grocery store in Rhame, said about 2 inches of snow had fallen there by Monday afternoon.

She said people in the town of about 190 were jokingly wishing each other a Merry Christmas.

The National Weather Service said it had reports of 2 inches of snow on the ground in Bowman at mid-afternoon. Forecasters expected an inch or two in the Dickinson area, with up to an inch overnight in Bismarck. Overnight lows were expected to drop into the upper 20s in the far western part of the state.

Snow led to the closure of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills. Superintendent Gerard Baker said the bad weather caused the memorial's offices to lose power Monday but he hoped it could reopen Tuesday.

Eagon said: "Nobody is ready for this we've hardly had a summer." (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-05-09 1827CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list