TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Storm Muddles Travel In Midwest

ADVERTISEMENT

By DAN NEPHIN, The Associated Press

Published: December 16, 2007

PITTSBURGH - As much as a foot of snow fell from the Plains across the Midwest on Saturday, snarling road and air travel, as the second big winter storm in a week barreled through on its way to New England.

Tens of thousands of people still lacked electricity after the first storm slammed Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri earlier in the week.
Winter storm warnings and watches extended Saturday from Missouri across parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, the National Weather Service said. As much as 15 inches of snow was forecast in parts of southern Michigan, with 10 inches possible in Detroit.

Snow started falling early in the afternoon in Pittsburgh, accumulating to about an inch before tapering off. Light rain and freezing rain took over later.

"We'll have a little bit of everything before the night is over," said Bill Drzal, a Weather Service meteorologist in Pittsburgh.

Areas to the north and east of the city could see as much as 12 inches through tonight, according to the Weather Service.

More than 200 flights were canceled because of the weather Saturday at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of the nation's busiest, and all other flights were delayed an hour, said Chicago Department of Aviation spokesman Gregg Cunningham.

Road travel also became tricky in northeastern Illinois, including Chicago's suburbs, where officials reported spinouts and cars in ditches.

"It's coming down steady," said Mike Claffey, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Flakes also were falling by late Saturday in traditionally snow-prone Buffalo, N.Y. Accumulations of a foot or more were predicted for much of New York state.

Concern about the approaching storm led the University of Connecticut to cancel today's winter commencement ceremony. About 850 undergraduates had expected to receive diplomas, but school spokesman Richard Veilleux said officials were concerned about the safety of the students and their families and other guests on slippery roads.

Oklahoma, hardest hit by the earlier storm, got only light rain early Saturday that turned into a few inches of snow. Neighboring Kansas, however, had as much as a foot Saturday morning. The Kansas Highway Patrol reported that Interstate 70 in central Kansas was snow-packed.

More than 2,300 people were in Kansas shelters Saturday because of the power failures and the fresh snow, said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Kansas Adjutant General's Department.

At the height of the last storm, there were 1 million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri who were blacked out. Saturday morning, utilities in the three states reported that 270,000 customers were without electricity.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT