Travel Disrupted as Heavy Snow, Record Cold Grip Upper Midwest

A winter storm dealt a body blow to the nation’s midsection Thursday, and its frigid air, heaps of snow and icy roads stranded travelers in the Upper Midwest.

The snow fell from the Rockies to the northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley, and record cold extended farther--from coast to coast and southward over the Plains into Texas.

Icy roads claimed the lives of least three people in Oklahoma and one person in Wisconsin.

A winter storm watch was in effect through today across much of northern Texas. Winter weather advisories were in effect through this morning over north-central, east-central and northeastern Wyoming, the National Weather Service said.

A lingering storm Thursday had spread snow over the central Rockies, the upper Missouri Valley, the northern Plains and the upper Mississippi Valley.

The storm had piled up 22.4 inches of snow at Bismarck, N.D., from Monday to midday Thursday, a record for one storm at any time of year there. The weather was so bad that the Salvation Army postponed its Thanksgiving dinner until today and even Meals on Wheels did not deliver.

Numerous travelers were snowbound in Bismarck motels. Robin Stanton, a clerk at a Comfort Inn, said that the motel had about 30 travelers from as far away as Winnipeg, Manitoba and Denver.

Roads were icy as far south as Missouri.

Snowfall from the storm in South Dakota included 25 inches at Aberdeen, 24 inches at Roscoe and 22 inches at Leola, Britton and Gettysburg, officials said.

Overnight snowfall in Minnesota included a foot at Tyler, Wadena, Browns Valley, Eagle Bend and Little Falls.

Rain changed to freezing rain over central through north-central Texas and in eastern Iowa.

Record lows included 8 degrees at Amarillo, Tex.; minus 21 at Butte, Mont.; 1 at Colorado Springs, Colo.; 14 below at Kalispell, Mont.; 26 below at Laramie, Wyo.; 2 at Lewiston, Ida.; 5 at Lincoln, Neb.; 5 at Marquette, Mich.; 4 at Montpelier, Vt.; 15 at Oklahoma City, Okla.; 4 below at Pendleton, Ore., and 11 at Wichita, Kan.

Thursday morning’s low for the Lower 48 states was 36 below zero at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, Wyo.