Colossal storm roars through nation's heartland
By Times staff and the
Associated Press
CHICAGO - A winter weather colossus roared into the nation's heartland Tuesday, laying down a paralyzing punch of dangerous ice and whiteout snow that served notice from Texas to Maine that the storm billed as the worst in decades could live up to the hype.
Ice-covered streets were deserted in Super Bowl host city Dallas. Whiteouts shut down Oklahoma City and Tulsa. And more was on the way. Chicago expected 2 feet of snow, Indianapolis an inch of ice, and the Northeast still more ice and snow in what's shaping up to be a record winter for the region.
The system that stretched more than 2,000 miles across a third of the country promised to leave in its aftermath a chilly cloak of teeth-chattering cold, with temperatures in the single digits or lower.
The storm left roads throughout the region, including those in Green and Lafayette Counties, nearly impassable. Even within the city of Monroe, blowing and drifting snow made driving extremely hazardous Tuesday night
Lafayette County Highway Commissioner Tom Jean said the county was pulling its plows from county highways at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and that the state would pull its rigs from roads at 9 p.m.
"Our main concern is getting everyone home safe," he said.
Earlier, he said, crews retrieved a "half a dozen" cars and several school buses from ditches.
Though he advises against any travel, he said crews would continue trying to keep Wisconsin 151 passable for as long as they could. However, whiteout conditions would remain a threat to anyone able to get through drifts on the road.
"We're expecting gusts of up to 50 mph (Tuesday night)," he said. "It's just not safe for anyone to be out."
Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.
The state Department of Transportation said as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, most roads in southern Wisconsin were snow-covered and slippery and visibility was poor or zero.
The DOT also said many secondary roads would likely become impassable during the night.
A blizzard warning remains in effect for Green and Lafayette Counties through noon today. New snow accumulations of 8 to 13 inches are predicted. Winds are expected to be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.
Winds topped 60 mph in Texas. The newspaper in Tulsa, Okla., canceled its print edition for the first time in more than a century. In Chicago, public schools called a snow day for the first time in 12 years, and both major airports gave up on flying until at least Wednesday afternoon.
The storm also led Chicago officials to close the city's busy and iconic Lake Shore Drive while crews tried to plow snow Tuesday night. City officials said the move was temporary but that they could have to close it again if high winds push 25-foot waves from nearby Lake Michigan onto the roadway.
Everyone "should brace for a storm that will be remembered for a long time," said Jose Santiago, executive director of the city's office of emergency management.
Cities across middle America shut down hours ahead of the snow. Scores of schools, colleges and government offices canceled activities or decided not to open at all. Large sections of busy Midwest interstates were closed, and 9,000 flights had been canceled across the nation.
Advice to stay home was followed widely. Thousands of office workers in Chicago's famous downtown Loop district left early to avoid any transit troubles. Pete Donaghue, a 49-year-old commodity trader, missed an early train before catching a 2:35 p.m. ride to suburban Wilmette.
"Big mistake," he said. "I'd be home right now, with my feet up, clicker in hand."
At the city's elegant apartment buildings closest to Lake Michigan, employees weren't fazed by the storm, but they kept an eye on the lakefront nonetheless. The wind was strong enough outside one building's lobby to send the heavy revolving door spinning by itself.
"This is nothing to play with here. This is gale-force wind," doorman Edward Butler said as he peered outside at snow blowing horizontally and in small cyclones.
The management at Butler's building called in extra employees for the storm. They bought the staff dinner and offered to put them up for the night at a nearby hotel, but Butler planned to drive home no matter what.
"If you're a true Chicagoan, you don't back down from this kind of storm." But, he added, "if you don't respect it, you'll pay a price."
In Missouri, more than a foot of snow had fallen by midday, with no end in sight. For the first time in history, the state of Missouri shut down Interstate 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City due to a winter storm.
"The roads are just pure white. There's no traffic. Nothing," said Kristi Strait, who was working at Clinton Discount Building Materials in Clinton, Mo.
Meteorologist Jeff Johnson of the National Weather Service in Des Moines said the storm was sure to "cripple transportation for a couple of days." The snow and the wind were a dangerous combination, even in areas where not that much snow was expected.
"You don't want to get caught out in the rural areas in your vehicle in this storm. It's a good night to stay home," he said.
The storm was so bad in Polk County, 200 miles west of St. Louis, that emergency officials requested help from the National Guard because local officials did not have enough vehicles to get the elderly and shut-ins to shelter if the power went out.
In state capitols across the Midwest and East, lawmakers cut short their workweek because of the storm.
By Times staff and the
Associated Press
CHICAGO - A winter weather colossus roared into the nation's heartland Tuesday, laying down a paralyzing punch of dangerous ice and whiteout snow that served notice from Texas to Maine that the storm billed as the worst in decades could live up to the hype.
Ice-covered streets were deserted in Super Bowl host city Dallas. Whiteouts shut down Oklahoma City and Tulsa. And more was on the way. Chicago expected 2 feet of snow, Indianapolis an inch of ice, and the Northeast still more ice and snow in what's shaping up to be a record winter for the region.
The system that stretched more than 2,000 miles across a third of the country promised to leave in its aftermath a chilly cloak of teeth-chattering cold, with temperatures in the single digits or lower.
The storm left roads throughout the region, including those in Green and Lafayette Counties, nearly impassable. Even within the city of Monroe, blowing and drifting snow made driving extremely hazardous Tuesday night
Lafayette County Highway Commissioner Tom Jean said the county was pulling its plows from county highways at 8 p.m. Tuesday, and that the state would pull its rigs from roads at 9 p.m.
"Our main concern is getting everyone home safe," he said.
Earlier, he said, crews retrieved a "half a dozen" cars and several school buses from ditches.
Though he advises against any travel, he said crews would continue trying to keep Wisconsin 151 passable for as long as they could. However, whiteout conditions would remain a threat to anyone able to get through drifts on the road.
"We're expecting gusts of up to 50 mph (Tuesday night)," he said. "It's just not safe for anyone to be out."
Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.
The state Department of Transportation said as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, most roads in southern Wisconsin were snow-covered and slippery and visibility was poor or zero.
The DOT also said many secondary roads would likely become impassable during the night.
A blizzard warning remains in effect for Green and Lafayette Counties through noon today. New snow accumulations of 8 to 13 inches are predicted. Winds are expected to be 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.
Winds topped 60 mph in Texas. The newspaper in Tulsa, Okla., canceled its print edition for the first time in more than a century. In Chicago, public schools called a snow day for the first time in 12 years, and both major airports gave up on flying until at least Wednesday afternoon.
The storm also led Chicago officials to close the city's busy and iconic Lake Shore Drive while crews tried to plow snow Tuesday night. City officials said the move was temporary but that they could have to close it again if high winds push 25-foot waves from nearby Lake Michigan onto the roadway.
Everyone "should brace for a storm that will be remembered for a long time," said Jose Santiago, executive director of the city's office of emergency management.
Cities across middle America shut down hours ahead of the snow. Scores of schools, colleges and government offices canceled activities or decided not to open at all. Large sections of busy Midwest interstates were closed, and 9,000 flights had been canceled across the nation.
Advice to stay home was followed widely. Thousands of office workers in Chicago's famous downtown Loop district left early to avoid any transit troubles. Pete Donaghue, a 49-year-old commodity trader, missed an early train before catching a 2:35 p.m. ride to suburban Wilmette.
"Big mistake," he said. "I'd be home right now, with my feet up, clicker in hand."
At the city's elegant apartment buildings closest to Lake Michigan, employees weren't fazed by the storm, but they kept an eye on the lakefront nonetheless. The wind was strong enough outside one building's lobby to send the heavy revolving door spinning by itself.
"This is nothing to play with here. This is gale-force wind," doorman Edward Butler said as he peered outside at snow blowing horizontally and in small cyclones.
The management at Butler's building called in extra employees for the storm. They bought the staff dinner and offered to put them up for the night at a nearby hotel, but Butler planned to drive home no matter what.
"If you're a true Chicagoan, you don't back down from this kind of storm." But, he added, "if you don't respect it, you'll pay a price."
In Missouri, more than a foot of snow had fallen by midday, with no end in sight. For the first time in history, the state of Missouri shut down Interstate 70 between St. Louis and Kansas City due to a winter storm.
"The roads are just pure white. There's no traffic. Nothing," said Kristi Strait, who was working at Clinton Discount Building Materials in Clinton, Mo.
Meteorologist Jeff Johnson of the National Weather Service in Des Moines said the storm was sure to "cripple transportation for a couple of days." The snow and the wind were a dangerous combination, even in areas where not that much snow was expected.
"You don't want to get caught out in the rural areas in your vehicle in this storm. It's a good night to stay home," he said.
The storm was so bad in Polk County, 200 miles west of St. Louis, that emergency officials requested help from the National Guard because local officials did not have enough vehicles to get the elderly and shut-ins to shelter if the power went out.
In state capitols across the Midwest and East, lawmakers cut short their workweek because of the storm.