As the storm makes its way out of the area and things calm, cities are implementing plans to clear roadways — but because of high winds and heavy snowdrifts, officials say they have their work cut out for them.

Whenever the plows finish clearing an emergency route, according to Keith Glass, Bismarck’s superintendent for Roads and Streets, they have to do it again — the blizzard usually sends an entirely new lump of snow to clog the road right back up.

“It just buries,” said Glass. “Half an hour after we plow it, our streets are just blown back shut. So it doesn’t pay, going in, doing residential, and then turning around after the wind blows the next day and start over.”

The story is the same in Dickinson; roads are snowed over constantly.

Emergency crews are working together with the city’s Public Works Department to clear roads and respond to distress calls.

“They had some equipment on scene at our station,” said Deputy Fre Chief Mark Selle of Dickinson Fire Department regarding its union with Dickinson Public Works. “And they kind of kept our area clean, and if we got a call, they would lead us out to where we were going.”

Dickinson officials say they expect roads to be cleared by the end of the weekend — f things continued as they are now.

Burleigh County says it could take two to three days to see similar results.

Even with the massive storm shaking things up, said Glass, everyone is doing their best to keep people safe.

The plowing procedures have allowed emergency vehicles to get where they need to be.

Until then, though, people both inside and outside Bismarck are working together to help others weather the storm.