Snow Snarls Travel in Ice-Cold Midwest

A storm bearing up to 12 inches of snow and wind chill factors as low as 45 degrees below zero moved through the plains and Midwest on Monday, closing highways and backing up air traffic just as holiday travelers were heading home.

“Everything around here is in bad shape because of the weather, and it’s getting worse by the minute,” said Ray Noll, a reserve officer with the Porter County, Ind., Sheriff’s Department. At least 25 cars were involved in a pileup on an interstate highway in the northern Indiana county, police said.

Snow fell or was in the forecast from the Rockies and upper plains as far east as Ohio. Accidents and blowing snow closed segments of interstate highways in several states, including Utah, Minnesota, Indiana and South Dakota.

Up to 12 inches in Minnesota and 10 inches in South Dakota were forecast by today.

“We got a report that the weather was going to turn bad, and we decided to leave a couple of days earlier than we intended to,” said Vic Waters of Viroqua, Wis., who was heading east from Sioux Falls, S.D. “We found the roads were looking like we probably made the right decision.”

Holiday travelers at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport were stranded, with all flights delayed and many canceled. Only two of seven runways were open as of 6 p.m.

Chicago officials enlisted 50 garbage trucks to serve as snowplows in addition to the usual fleet of 226 plows.

“We don’t know what could happen,” said John Halperin, streets and sanitation commissioner. “They’ve told us we could get 5 to 7 inches of snowfall. They’ve also told us it could start raining after 4 p.m.”

Police and the weather service recommended no unnecessary travel.

“If you are traveling, stop. If you are thinking of traveling, don’t,” the National Weather Service warned in Minnesota. “If you end up rolled over in the ditch, stay in your car or vehicle. Do not attempt to walk to safety. Wait for rescue.”

Wind-chill factors fell to 45 degrees below zero in Jamestown, N.D., Livingston, Mont., Douglas, Wyo., and Rapid City, S.D.

It was the same storm system that earlier had brought about 2 feet of snow to parts of the West, with the mountains of Utah and Colorado particularly hard hit. Powder Mountain, Utah, reported 26 inches.

The storm kept Utah Department of Transportation crews busy Sunday, and at least one section of Interstate 84 was closed Monday because of drifting snow.

“I don’t know that any of them (crew members) were home for Christmas,” said Lynn Millard, a maintenance supervisor for the department.

Mountain areas of Arizona reported 2 to 5 inches of snow Sunday evening to Monday morning, and parts of Montana got up to 8 inches in the same period.

Warroad, Minn., had the nation’s low temperature Monday morning--21 degrees below zero even before the wind chill was factored in. It was 18 below at Cut Bank, Mont., and 14 below zero at Lovelock, Nev., and Butte, Mont.