Winter Storms Blow Across the Midwest
Hundreds of Flights Canceled Ahead of Frigid Blast
By DANA FIELDS, AP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Dec. 1) – The first major snowstorm of the season blew across the Plains and Midwest on Thursday, grounding hundreds of flights, closing schools, glazing highways and threatening to dump up to a foot of snow on communities that had basked in balmy weather only days earlier.

The wintry weather spread across an area stretching from Texas and Oklahoma to Michigan, and a blizzard warning was posted in parts of Oklahoma.

Clay Ender, who works for a heating service company, struggled to get around in the 3 inches of snow that fell overnight in Lubbock, Texas. A trip across the city that usually takes 20 minutes stretched to an hour, he said.

“There were so many cars spinning out of control,” he said. “They couldn’t get any traction.”

The system roared through the Northwest and Rockies earlier in the week. Coming on the heels of near-record high temperatures, it rolled through Kansas on Wednesday, coating tree limbs and power lines with half an inch of ice. By Thursday, the storm was moving northeast from Oklahoma on the way to Illinois.

Sleet, snow and freezing rain forced the cancellation of 200 flights out of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and closed some schools. In the Texas Panhandle, roads were covered with ice and up to 7 inches of snow.

Northern Oklahoma expected to receive 8 to 12 inches of snow, while parts of Illinois prepared for 6 to 12 inches. Varying amounts were also forecast for Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas.

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