Heavy snow, high winds pound Midwest, Plains

The snowfall follows a storm last weekend that dropped up to 2 feet of snow across Minnesota, leaving plow crews wondering where to put the new snow.

Snowstorms in Midwest
Elsewhere, snow brought parts of the nation to a standstill.

The bulk of the snowstorms Thursday morning were near the Iowa-Missouri border, moving slowly across Iowa. Blizzard conditions — heavy snow and wind gusts above 35 mph — were reported in parts of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

In Colorado and Washington state, heavy snow made for huge highway pile-ups and dangerous driving conditions.

Iowa and neighboring states saw a second snowstorm in less than a week, while heavy rain, hail and strong winds were forecast in parts of the Southeast — including the Atlanta area as well as parts of Mississippi and Alabama.

The storm system was expected to intensify as it moved through the Plains toward the Great Lakes, and winter storm warnings were in effect for much of the Upper Midwest, the National Weather Service said.

Parts of Wisconsin had seen 18 inches of snow by Thursday morning. Up to two feet of snow was possible in parts of the Upper Midwest.

Areas of freezing rain and ice were also expected from the Upper Mississippi through Wisconsin and Michigan.

Pile-ups in Colo., Wash.
In Colorado, a storm dumped six inches of new snow on some areas. Dozens of vehicles crashed, forcing the shutdown for several hours of a 12-mile stretch of Interstate 25 north of Colorado Springs. Eighteen people were taken to hospitals, four with serious injuries.

State Trooper Ron Watkins said authorities had to send a school bus to collect stranded motorists and take them to a hotel. Watkins’ advice to other drivers: “Stay away from the area.”

The National Weather Service had predicted less than 3 inches of snow for Denver, but at least 7 inches of snow fell in the suburbs west of Denver, and 10 inches fell in the foothills.

In Washington state, 60 vehicles were involved in a pile-up on Interstate 90 near the summit of a mountain pass, closing the highway for six hours and seriously injuring at least four people.

That accident triggered dozens of other accidents during the Wednesday evening commute. The area saw nearly a foot of snow overnight.

18-mile backup
The I-90 backup stretched 18 miles at one point. "We've got semis that are sideways and trailers that were hauling boats, and trailers that are destroyed, and trucks and cars. It's a mess," State Patrol Trooper Jeff Merrill said Wednesday night, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper.

Even low-elevation areas across western Washington state saw several inches of snow, and dozens of accidents.

A recent spate of good weather lulled drivers into thinking the worst was over, said Jeff Adamson, a state Transportation Department spokesman.

"We've had such good weather for the past few weeks and then this blasted weather comes," he said. "A lot of people took off their studded tires and are getting ready for spring. They forget that it's still winter."

50,000 still without power in Iowa
Iowa was also in the storm's path, and 50,000 customers were still without power after the last storm a week ago.

The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning through Friday for 38 counties in central and north-central Iowa. Winds are expected to reach above 50 mph, with drifting snow producing whiteout conditions.

"Customers have to prepare themselves that, yes, our system is vulnerable right now," said Ryan Stensland, an Alliant Energy spokesman. "There could be additional shortages if severe weather hits."

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