Midwest temps plummet to well below zero

Heading east
The leading edge of the cold air was expected to strike the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and South late Tuesday and Wednesday. Residents in the Atlanta area could see temperatures in the high teens.

And meteorologists warned that a second wave could drop temperatures into the single digits Friday in the mid-Atlantic region.

What was left of that snowstorm was blowing eastward along the Great Lakes.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan's second-largest city, The Grand Rapids Press reported police and fire crews would visit spots frequented by the homeless and urge them to go to a shelter.

"We don't want anyone in jeopardy," said Grand Rapids police Lt. Ralph Mason. "We're going to find a way to help."

Indiana police reported numerous crashes on slippery highways, including a truck that overturned and spilled 43,000 pounds of cheese, closing a busy highway ramp during the night in the Gary area.

'Snowed in'
In North Dakota, the Minot area got 6 inches of snow on Monday, on top of about a foot that fell late last week, and Bismarck collected 4. Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks all broke snow records for December, each with more than 30 inches.

Road departments have had little time to clear away the snow between storms.

"Four-wheel drives are useless — people are just snowed in," said Rhonda Woodhams, office manager for the Williams County, N.D. "People are calling in saying they're out of milk and diapers for their kids, or they have doctor appointments they need to get to. We're doing our best. And we don't need no more snow."

The weight of the snow in Bismarck collapsed a roof during the weekend and crushed nine mint-condition muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s, said Steven Jaskoviak, owner of Skovy's Autoplex. He estimated their value at more than $300,000.

"Those can be replaced," Jaskoviak said Monday. "But by the grace of God, no one was hurt. We had more than 100 people in the showroom on Saturday, and if it would have happened then there would have been loss of life."

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