Snow Blankets Midwest; Idaho Hit by Floods

Snow spread across the Midwest on Sunday while heavy rainfall in the Northwest caused scattered flooding and blocked roads in Idaho, isolating some rural communities.

Snow fell from Indiana to northern Missouri and southern Minnesota and a winter storm warning was posted across central Illinois, where the forecast was for four to eight inches of snow.

Springfield, Ill., received two inches of snow in one hour for a total of five inches, while parts of southeastern Iowa got three to four inches.

Travelers’ advisories warning of snow were posted across northern Illinois and western Indiana.

Rain, with snow at higher elevations, fell over much of the Northwest.

Since Saturday, many coastal areas of Oregon had reported nearly two inches of rain, with four to six inches reported between Brookings and Port Orford.

Mud slides closed at least three highways in Oregon west of the Cascades, while a fourth road was closed because of a collapsed culvert attributed to heavy rain.

Flood warnings also were issued for the Owyhee and Weiser rivers in southern Idaho, and rural communities in mountainous Boise County were isolated by flooded roads, authorities said.

At least one highway outside Idaho City was blocked by large mud slides, Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Bradley said.

Mountain Bell’s long-distance phone service for Grand View, Ida., and for the Nevada cities of Mountain View and Mountain City was cut by the floods, spokesman Steve Guerber said.