A slow-moving, low-pressure system dumped a record amount of snow on Bismarck and even more on Mandan on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service's Len Peterson reported that total snowfall amounts in the area ranged from 2.8 inches in Linton to 7 inches in Mandan. Snow began accumulating Monday evening, running through Tuesday and into Wednesday, as the system moved southeast into Minnesota and Iowa.

Bismarck received a total of 6.2 inches, 5.5 of those coming Tuesday and eclipsing the single-day snowfall amount of 4.2 inches set in 1945. Halliday, which reported an 8-inch snowfall last week, received another 6.5 inches the past two days. Flasher and New Salem reported 5.8 inches, Hazelton 4.8, Trotters 5.2, Grassy Butte 5.1, Underwood 4.6, Dunn Center 4.5, Wilton and Watford City 4, and Fort Yates 3.

Bismarck's total for the month of April is 10.2 inches, Peterson said. This is 8 inches more than the average 2.2 inches the city receives.

Water equivalents varied greatly, Peterson said. Bismarck received about .36 of an inch, while other reports showed nearly .85 of an inch of precipitation in the snow.

Bismarck Public Works sent seven sanders out at 5 a.m. Wednesday, adding five more later in the morning when operators found they couldn't keep up, equipment operator Rod Kudrna said. Two truck plows also were sent out.

On Tuesday, 48 loads - or about 500 tons - of sand were dumped on Bismarck streets. A similar amount was expected to be used Wednesday.

"The snow really hasn't been a problem," Kudrna said. "But now we're going to get a lot more potholes developing because of all of the moisture and freezing temperatures at night."

Road superintendent Chuck Morman said snowfall amounts were between 4 and 8 inches in Morton County. He sent out 11 motorgraders on Wednesday.

"We're not in too bad of shape. It's been spotty, with drifting in some areas and other areas where the roads were clean," Morman said. "It's a normal spring snow in North Dakota, kind of what we usually expect, though usually not this late. I've seen this many times in my 40 years with the department. Now, we can let her melt and start spring maintenance."

There was a traffic snarl on University Drive as vehicles made their way up the hill toward the University of Mary at about 9 p.m. Tuesday. Police Lt. Kelly Leben said a report indicated a vehicle went into the ditch due to slippery conditions. A tow truck was sent out, and deputies were sent out to direct traffic until the vehicle was pulled out and state sanders arrived.

Otherwise, weather-related calls were relatively quiet, Leben said.

As the system moves out of the area, the National Weather Service is forecasting a return to normal temperatures, warming to the mid-50s by the weekend. Chances of precipitation remain for today and Friday and then again at the beginning of next week, but nothing similar to what the area saw this week, Peterson said.