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• A series of Alberta clippers have swept down from Canada into the Northern Plains in the past couple of weeks, bringing light snow, strong winds and cold temperatures.
• "This is definitely the most widespread event we've had this year," Jones said.
• Sustained high winds in the two states made it near impossible to measure snowfall amounts, he said.
• "It's blowing around so much it's hard to get a reading," Jones said.
• High winds and blowing snow also caused conditions that were too wintry for some skiers and snowmobilers.
• A popular ski area south of Bismarck and Mandan was closed Sunday. Huff Hills manager Andy Beck said the high winds made it unsafe to operate the facility's chairlifts, the second time this year that has happened.
• "Closing two days in one year is pretty unheard of," Beck said. "It seems like when we get a little snow it comes with frigid temperatures and high winds. We just can't win."
• In White, S.D, in the eastern part of the state, the brutal weather and winds kept Julie Westberg from firing up her snowmobile.
• "I'm a fair-weather rider," said Westberg, who is the president of a local snowmobile club.
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• The Environmental Protection Agency announced in November it was proposing reductions by nearly 3 billion gallons in the amount of biofuels required to be blended into gasoline in 2014. The EPA has said the additive had become less necessary in light of fuel-efficient engines and lower fuel demand.
• A deadline for comments on the proposed change is Tuesday. South Dakota's delegation hit out at the changes as soon as they were announced and has continued to push the Obama administration to reconsider.
• The latest effort came last week as Sens. John Thune, a Republican, and Tim Johnson, a Democrat, signed onto a letter with 29 other senators to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
• Among other things, the letter says the U.S. would be more reliant on foreign oil

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