Northern States Shiver as Snow Falls; More Due

Snow blanketed northern states from Washington to the Plains today after a day of near-blizzard conditions in Utah, while rivers in southern Texas were rising after up to 11 inches of rain.

Winter storm warnings were posted for southern North Dakota and the mountains of northern Utah, and travelers’ advisories warning of snow and icy roads were issued from Washington state into Minnesota.

Wind blowing at 20 to 35 m.p.h. combined with very cold temperatures across the northern Plains to produce wind chill factors of 30 to 60 degrees below zero.

Record lows for today’s date were posted from Oregon into Michigan, including 16 below zero at Duluth, Minn. Boise, Ida., had its fifth consecutive record low today at 13 degrees.

More than 18 inches of snow was reported at 8,500 feet near Bishop, Calif., and 11 inches fell overnight at Alta, Utah, with 8 or more inches expected today.

Snow Warnings Up

A heavy-snow warning was posted for the mountains of southwestern Colorado, with 12 to 18 inches of snow possible.

Freezing drizzle iced roads from Oklahoma and Kansas into southern Iowa and central Illinois.

A flash-flood watch was in effect for south-central and southeastern Texas, where very heavy rain fell over the weekend, including 11 inches at Magnolia and 8 inches at Conroe. Several rivers and creeks were forced out of their banks.

Elsewhere, rain was scattered over the Carolinas and the southern Ohio Valley. Dense fog reduced visibility across much of the southern Plains.