Rapid City police Sgt. Rich Fox credited the city's snowplow crew for the small number of car accidents Saturday.

He said it wasn't because drivers were behaving any better: "No, they just got the roads plowed, that's all."

He said there had been 10 minor accidents by mid-afternoon, a few more than normal, but not as bad as Thursday, when there were nearly 70. The most he has seen is 108 in a single day.

"We're feeling pretty lucky today," Fox said.

There were more than 20 accidents on the interstate and on other highways and rural roads, state Trooper Ryan Mechaley said. He said the Department of Transportation did a great job clearing the highways, but "The interstate is continually busy" with traffic, he said. The stretch between Black Hawk and New Underwood was particularly problematic, Mechaley said.

The accidents weren't serious, he said. Several cars ended up in ditches.

Late Friday, the weather contributed to an accident involving a busload of Belle Fourche High School basketball players, according to the South Dakota Highway Patrol.

Joseph K. Sukut, 49, of Billings, Mont., was driving a Dodge Intrepid on U.S. Highway 85 about a mile north of Deadwood shortly after 10 p.m. when he lost control of his car on the snowy road and ran into the driver's side of a Belle Fourche High School bus, the patrol said.

The bus, driven by Conley P. Torgrude, 75, of Belle Fourche, was traveling home from a basketball game in Deadwood.

Twenty students and three coaches were on the bus, but neither they nor the driver were harmed. The school sent another bus to pick them up.

Sukut and his passenger, Sheri M. Sukut, 50, of Billings, received minor injuries. Careless driving charges are pending against Joseph Sukut, according to the patrol.

Some light snow was expected to continue into Saturday evening but it was expected to diminish after midnight, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Snow is not expected today. The skies should be partly sunny, with a high near 21. The low tonight will be around 6.

Snowfall totals

Hot Springs and areas west of Custer got the most snowfall Saturday, with between 7 and 10 inches.

Other snowfalls:

Rapid City airport, 4.2 inches

Rapid City, 3 - 4 inches

Newcastle, Wyo., 4 inches

Pine Ridge, 4 inches

Pactola Reservoir, 3.5 inches

Martin, 3 inches

Source: National Weather Service