Holiday Gusty, Chilly in Much of Nation

Winds gusting to 90 m.p.h. lashed Colorado and Wyoming on Thursday as snow frosted peaks in the Rockies and Northwest, and a cold front made for a chilly Thanksgiving in the Midwest.

A high-wind warning was posted along the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Montana, the eastern slopes of the mountains in northwest Wyoming and the higher foothills of Colorado, the National Weather Service said.

Morning winds gusted to 92 m.p.h. at Rustic, Colo., and around 80 m.p.h. near Laramie, Cheyenne and Wheatland in Wyoming.

Trees were downed by gusty winds near Spokane, Wash., and Rockford, Ida., and Interstate 82 and several state highways in eastern Washington were closed because of winds and blowing dust, the weather service said.

Snow advisories were posted for the mountains of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Colorado. As much as a foot of snow blew over the western mountains and passes of Montana, the weather service said.

A cold front extending from Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Oklahoma down south to Texas dropped temperatures during the early morning hours.

Morning lows were in the 30s and 40s in the Midwest, dropping to the 20s in the northern plains. Lows were in the 30s in the Rockies, Southwest and East, the 40s in the Pacific Northwest, and the 50s and 60s in Texas and Florida.