Responding to Major Winter Storms Impacting the BNSF Network
BNSF is responding to a series of winter storms moving across our network this week, which is negatively impacting service performance in some areas. Winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect for portions of Western North Dakota, Northern Minnesota, and Wisconsin as the slow-moving storm that brought heavy snow and blizzard conditions to parts of the West and Northern Plains this week continues to move northeast. Our operating crews in the Northwest continue to confront below-zero air temperatures along with wind chills around twenty below zero in Montana and North Dakota. In advance of the storm, BNSF activated 24/7 command centers to manage service issues or interruptions and deployed additional personnel and resources to affected areas, including snow removal equipment and locomotives. Train length restrictions were also implemented in this region but will be lifted as temperatures moderate in the affected areas through the weekend.
Wind advisories and winter storm warnings are also in effect for most of California and portions of the Southwest. Periods of high wind with gusts up to 60 mph and heavy snow, with the potential for blizzard-like conditions, heavy rain, and flooding, will continue through Saturday. While taking all necessary safety precautions to work in these conditions and keep trains moving, BNSF crews are actively responding to service interruption locations and addressing issues. Customers with shipments designated to move to and from the Pacific Northwest and California and/or along our Southern Transcon route between Southern California and the Midwest should expect residual delays until traffic flows have normalized through the area.