Massive snowstorm heads east

System blamed for 7 deaths in Wis.; tornadoes reported in Ark., Miss., La.

The Associated Press, Feb. 25, 2007

DETROIT - A huge winter storm barreled toward the East Coast on Sunday after dumping more than a foot of snow on the Upper Midwest, causing seven traffic deaths in Wisconsin and closing major highways in the Plains.

Parts of Wisconsin could get 18 to 24 inches of snow before the storm passes, said Tom Zajdel, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, Wis.

The storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers, mostly in Iowa, where freezing rain coated trees and power lines. Outages were also reported in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Ohio.

The snow is so wet its sticking to power poles and power lines, said Bill Taylor of the National Weather Service office in North Platte, Neb.

Snow, sleet and freezing rain caused hundreds of flights to be canceled or delayed Saturday in Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee, while whiteouts occurred in Colorado and Kansas.

Interstate 70, a major cross-country route, was closed for about 400 miles in both directions from just east of Denver to Salina, Kan., because of blowing snow and slippery pavement.

35-car pileup on I-70

Between Denver and the beginning of the highway closure, about 35 cars collided in a pileup on an icy section of I-70. No major injuries were reported.

The weather service reported wind gusts of 68 mph in the Denver area. In Kansas, winds whipped about 3 inches of snowfall into 7-foot drifts.

A number of other highways also were closed in Wyoming and Nebraska. But many roads reopened later Saturday, including most of Interstate 80 in Nebraska. More than 270 miles there had been closed.

The National Weather Service posted blizzard and winter storm warnings for parts of Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Between 15 inches to 18 inches of snow had fallen between Winona, Minn., and La Crosse, Wis., by Saturday evening, according to the weather service.

As conditions worsened in Winona County, deputies turned to four-wheel drive vehicles. The blinding snow caused around 50 cars to spin out or go into the ditch, authorities said.

Were having trouble getting to some of the cars, Sheriff David Brand said. We couldnt travel very fast because we couldnt see to get to them. A lot of cars couldnt see or theyre having to stop to see the roadways.

The massive system was also responsible for severe storms in the South that swept cars off roads, crumpled businesses and sent mobile homes airborne. Tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.

© 2007 The Associated Press.