Ice Storm Seals Midwest Under Glassy Blanket

A storm that staggered the Rockies with snow sealed parts of the Midwest inside a thick layer of ice Thursday, pulling down power lines that serve more than 90,000 customers in Des Moines, Iowa, and turning roads into skating rinks.

Some major Wyoming highways remained closed for a third day by deep snow, idling travelers in motels, restaurants, truck stops and shelters, although temperatures rose above freezing.

Hundreds of schools were closed because ice or snow made travel hazardous, or because of lack of electricity, officials said.

South of the snow and ice belt, up to 7 inches of rain fell overnight and flooded parts of Arkansas, forcing the evacuation of some homes in Little Rock. A school bus was swept off a flooded road and into a ditch, but the young passengers were evacuated safely by boat, officials said.

Freezing rain during the night brought down tree branches and power lines across wide sections of Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Des Moines was hardest hit, with nearly 60% of the customers in the metropolitan area blacked out. Police said nearly every street in the city was closed or partially closed at some point by downed lines or fallen limbs.