Storm turns holiday travel dangerous in Midwest
Weather forecasters say the Twin Cities caught a break in the holiday snowstorm but other areas of the state haven't been so fortunate.
MPR Meteorologist Craig Edwards says near blizzard conditions with strong winds will continue for the next 24 hours along Minnesota's north shore, the Fargo Moorhead area, and Grand Forks.
"It'll still be another day I think before we see much improved conditions in farther northern and western Minnesota," Edwards said. "In the Twin Cities, I think the refreezing that occurs overnight will be our main concern, an additional 2 to 3 inches of snow."
Edwards said snowfall totals in some areas of the Twin Cities may approach 14 inches. He said the eastern areas of Minnesota and western Wisconsin may see no more than an additional inch or two -- totaling 8 to 10 inches.
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Minnesota Department of Transportation officials say motorists should check road conditions before driving this afternoon and tonight due to the holiday snow storm.
MnDOT spokesman Kevin Gutnecht said there are some areas of the state that have wet and slushy roads such as the Twin Cities and others were no travel is advised -- in northern and Western Minnesota. He said even in areas where roads appear better, motorists should still be watching out for transportation workers trying to clear snow.
"We've got lots of plows out. We've got more than 800 plows out across the state, 200 in the metro area that are out and about," Gutnecht said. "If you have to drive, you should drive according to what the road conditions are, give the plows room to work, take your time, plan ahead."
The state of South Dakota has closed I-90 at the Minnesota/South Dakota state line until further notice due to weather. Gutnecht says transportation officials in Iowa are also advising no travel in western Iowa.
Public safety spokesman Doug Neville said right now authorities in northeastern Minnesota are telling motorists to stay home due to bad driving conditions. Neville said driving in the Twin Cities is also slick and that as the temperature falls later today, the roads could get worse.
"Well there's always the possibility that the roads can refreeze, especially when they're wet," Neville said. "People just need to slow down and make sure they're aware of the conditions are and if it's icy, drive accordingly."
Minnesota authorities say icy road conditions resulted in the death of a Fergus Falls man after a collision Thursday. It was the second fatality connected with the storm.
Officials at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport say flights are averaging delays of 15-minute or less Friday, but passengers should still call ahead.
Airport spokesman Pat Hogan says even if the storm winds down in the Twin Cities, there are other airports that are facing delays.
"Anybody heading to the airport today should go ahead and check ahead of time to make sure there hasn't been a change to their flight because there still is some pretty nasty weather in other parts of the Midwest and that could also have an impact on whether or not your flight gets here in time," Hogan said.
A blustery storm spread snow and ice across the heartland Thursday as Americans rushed to get home for the holidays, grounding flights, stranding drivers on white-knuckle highways and forcing churches to cancel Christmas Eve services.
"I don't think God wants anyone to get killed or break a hip or break a knee or something," said the Rev. Joseph Mirowski of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Transfiguration in Mason City, Iowa, where up to a foot of snow and sleet was expected.
A foot or two of snow was forecast in parts of the Plains and the Midwest by Christmas Day. Blizzard warnings were issued for Minnesota, North Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin, and drivers were encouraged to pack emergency kits before setting out during what is normally one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The storm was also expected to glaze highways in the East with ice on Christmas.
Slippery roads were blamed for at least 14 deaths this week as the slow-moving storm made its way across the country from the Southwest.
The snowstorm also put the brakes on some last-minute Christmas shopping. At the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., some shoppers had entire stores to themselves.
"It doesn't bother me any," said Steve Burns, who was browsing for shirts and other gifts with his teenage daughter.
High winds blowing snow across icy roads were a concern elsewhere. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol closed eastbound Interstate 40 in El Reno after numerous accidents, and the state's National Guard was activated to rescue motorists stranded by collisions or spinouts along the H.E. Bailey Turnpike, which runs to the Texas state line.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated military personnel to help drivers. North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven placed additional state troopers and the National Guard on standby.
The wind gusted to 40 mph in central Kansas, and gusts up to 60 mph were forecast in Oklahoma.
"The wind is killer, especially when you're empty," trucker Jim Reed said during a stop in Omaha, Neb. "Anything that's boxed, like a refrigerator trailer like I have, becomes like a giant sail in the wind."
Tony Glaum of Leavenworth, Kan., was traveling with his wife and daughter to his parents' home north of Manhattan. He said they were thinking about staying overnight rather than making their usual Christmas Eve trip back home.
Still, he said, he is looking forward to a white Christmas: "I think snow would be pretty nice."
Nearly 100 flights from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport were canceled by midday. By late afternoon, though, a spokesman said most flights were getting out. The Oklahoma City airport shut down one of its three runways and canceled nearly 30 flights. Two-hour-plus delays were reported at Houston's Hobby Airport, and Chicago's O'Hare had hour-long delays and more than 30 cancellations.
The Rev. Roger Claxton canceled Christmas Eve services at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church in Wabasha, Minn., after the area got at least 8 inches of snow. Claxton feared his congregation's senior citizens would feel compelled to attend.
"I'd rather have people stay home than do their funerals in a couple weeks," he said.
The Rev. Mark Kelm told parishioners to stay home if they didn't feel safe, though he planned to hold services even if he was the only one there at St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church in White Bear Lake, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn.
"If I have to make it on cross-country skis, I'll be here," Kelm said. "The best way I can explain it is, it's just like a pregnant woman - if the baby is coming, the baby is coming. For us, the Christ child is going to be celebrated."
Karen Scholten said her would family would conduct a mini-service at home after the Eagle Grove, Iowa, church she has attended since 1965 canceled its Christmas Eve service for the first time she could recall.
"I'm sure we will read the Christmas story and listen to some Christmas hymns," she said.
Since Tuesday, icy roads have been blamed for accidents that killed at least seven people in Nebraska, four in Kansas, one each in Minnesota and Oklahoma, and one near Albuquerque, N.M. ---
Associated Press Writers Martiga Lohn in Minneapolis, Jean Ortiz and Josh Funk in Omaha, Neb., Michael J. Crumb in Des Moines, Iowa, James MacPherson in Bismarck, N.D., John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., Tim Talley in Oklahoma City, and Caryn Rousseau and Michael Tarm in Chicago contributed to this report.
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On the Net: National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
