Fatal storm leaves Midwest cold and windy

A deadly storm that roared across the Midwest this week left the region blanketed in snow and bitter cold temperatures Thursday, with wind chills as low as 30 below zero.

Blizzard conditions hammered portions of Michigan and Ohio, where communities were already struggling to dig out from drifts more than 15 feet high, as the storm moved northeast and into Canada.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service said Thursday that more than 13.5 inches of snow had fallen in southwestern Michigan, and an additional foot was expected there and in northwestern parts of the state by today.

The storm left dozens of communities racing to close schools, clear roads and restore power.

News of more snow chilled residents in Iron County, Mich., which had 23 inches on the ground. In Gogebic County, Mich., locals were dealing with 30 inches of snow.

The storm has affected about two-thirds of the country and is blamed for at least 17 deaths, most from traffic accidents, according to the Associated Press.

In Ohio, thousands of customers lost power as 61 mph winds and sub-zero temperatures snapped power lines. In northeastern Ohio, where forecasters warned that up to 2 feet of snow was expected in Lake and Ashtabula counties by the weekend, residents rushed to buy snow shovels, salt and firewood.

Though much of the heartland saw their skies clear Thursday, the high winds created blizzard-like conditions by blowing snow already on the ground.

“The system’s moving on, but all this Arctic air has come pouring south out of Canada and is sweeping across the Plains,” said Patrick Slattery, a spokesman for the National Weather Service. “That means it is cold -- really, really cold out there.”

Winds sent temperatures plummeting in Wyoming and Nebraska, with the wind chill dropping to 30 below zero. In Kansas, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa, the wind chill fell to as low as minus 25 degrees.

In Iowa, blowing snow and icy roads caused drivers to skid into ditches and empty fields.

“People look outside and think it’s beautiful and sunny, and they don’t realize that the shine on the roads is ice,” said Courtney Greene, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

The state agency warned residents Thursday to avoid driving if possible, and to keep blankets, food and other survival gear in their car in case they got stranded.

“The accidents are rolling in like crazy,” Greene said.

p.j.huffstutter@latimes.com