John Tapko clears snow at his house Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Overland Park, Kan. A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
Lifelong Flint resident Cory Pacheco, 58, uses a snowblower to clear out his driveway on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in downtown Flint, Mich. This was his first pass, he said, as he intends to continue to remove snow throughout the heavy snow storm. “I love it. It’s truly so beautiful,” he said, taking a break to admire the fresh blanket atop the trees and along Commonwealth Avenue. “We’ve needed this.”
A woman walks down a snow-covered street Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
A snow plow drives along West Michigan Avenue in downtown Kalamazoo, Mich., on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
Matt Seggerman get’s an early start on removing snow from his driveway in St. Charles County, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
Snow fall along North Street, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Lafayette, Ind.
Drucie Haddock of Denver uses her cross-country skis to navigate around Washington Park as a winter storm sweeps over the intermountain West Wednesday Feb. 2, 2022, in Denver. Forecasters predict that the storm will move out Wednesday on to the eastern plains and on to the Midwest, which is bracing for heavy snowfall and icy conditions in the days ahead.
Men play football on a soccer field in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
A lone cross country skier pushes through deep snow and blowing winds in Chicago’s Lincoln Park Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the middle section of the United States as airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
A woman pulls a child on a sled across the intersection of Bayaud Avenue and South Washington Street as a winter storm sweeps over the intermountain West Wednesday Feb. 2, 2022, in Denver. Forecasters predict that the storm will move out Wednesday on to the eastern plains and on to the Midwest, which is bracing for heavy snowfall and icy conditions in the days ahead.
A sign advises patrons of COVID-19 restriction while long icicles grow from an awning outside a restaurant as a winter storm sweeps over the intermountain West Wednesday Feb. 2, 2022, in Denver. Forecasters predict that the storm will move out Wednesday on to the eastern plains and on to the Midwest, which is bracing for heavy snowfall and icy conditions in the days ahead.
With winter weather coming, an adult helps school children cross the street in Dallas, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. North Texas school districts called off classes for the next two days in anticipation of winter weather that sweeps in this evening.
A sign tells that the school has been canceled due to impending winter weather in Dallas, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. North Texas school districts called off classes for the next two days in anticipation of winter weather that sweeps in this evening.
With winter weather coming, crossing guard Willie McCree, left, stops traffic for school children to cross the street in Dallas, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022. North Texas school districts called off classes for the next two days in anticipation of winter weather that sweeps in this evening.
Eleanor Kasper and her 5-year-old son, Eli, sled on a hill in Middle Shooks Run Park in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, after a winter storm hit the Pikes Peak Region, closing schools and businesses.
Ice forms along the St. Joseph River as a sailboat remains moored near the Margaret B. Upton Arboretum in St. Joseph, Mich., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022.
A car remains buried under several inches of snow at the Margaret B. Upton Arboretum in St. Joseph, Mich., Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, after a winter storm moved through Southwest Michigan.
CHICAGO (AP) — A major winter storm with millions of Americans in its path brought a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow to the central U.S. as airlines canceled thousands of flights, officials urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses.
The blast of frigid weather, which began arriving Tuesday night and continued Wednesday, put a long stretch of states from New Mexico and Colorado to Maine under winter storm warnings and watches. On Wednesday morning, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan saw freezing rain, sleet and snow.
By midday Wednesday, some places had already reported snow totals exceeding or nearing a foot, including the central Illinois town of Lewistown with 14.4 inches (36.6 centimeters) and the northeastern Missouri city of Hannibal with 11.5 inches (29.2 centimeters).
“And it’s still snowing across these areas,” said Andrew Orrison, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.
Central Illinois and northern Indiana appeared likely to receive the most snowfall, with expected totals ranging from 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 centimeters) by the end of Thursday, Orrison said.
Snow had begun to taper off in Missouri by early afternoon but much of the state could wind up with 8 inches to a foot (20 to 30 centimeters) of snow. Parts of Michigan also could snow totals around a foot by Thursday.
In Chicago, Elisha Waldman and his sons welcomed the opportunity to hit a sledding hill Wednesday morning, even as snow continued to fall.
“Cold and wet and wonderful, and getting cold and wet is part of the fun with the guys, and we get to go inside and have hot cocoa and warm up,” Waldman said.
In Detroit’s western suburbs, Tony Haley also found an advantage to the weather. He owns a landscaping and irrigation company that offers snow removal and salting services, but the early winter weeks offered few opportunities for business.
“This one here, we’re looking for a good two, three days of work,” Haley said after clearing snow away from several businesses in Canton.
But for those on the roads, the heavy snow created hazardous conditions.
“We’re receiving a lot of snow over here in northwest Indiana and it’s the wet, slushy snow that causes treacherous driving conditions to say the least,” Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield told WFLD-TV.
In central Missouri, officials shut down part of Interstate 70 midday after a crash made the roadway impassable.
Areas south of the heavy snow were expected to see freezing rain, with the heaviest ice predicted along the lower Ohio Valley area from Louisville, Kentucky, to Memphis, Tennessee.
“If everything holds to where it is right now, this is the real deal,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who ordered state government offices to close on Thursday. “It is dangerous. People need to be prepared.”
The disruptive storm moved across the central U.S. on Groundhog Day, the same day the famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. The storm came on the heels of a nor’easter last weekend that brought blizzard conditions to many parts of the East Coast.
The storm’s path extended as far south as Texas, nearly a year after a catastrophic freeze buckled the state’s power grid in one of the worst blackouts in U.S. history. The forecast did not call for the same prolonged and frigid temperatures as the February 2021 storm, and the National Weather Service said the system would, generally, not be as bad this time for Texas.
Early Thursday morning there were over 46,000 power outages being reported in Texas and over 17,000 in Oklahoma, according to poweroutage.us.
Snowfall totals reached 22 inches (56 centimeters) in Colorado Springs and up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) in the Denver area, with more expected, prompting universities, state government offices and the Legislature to shut down.
Airlines canceled nearly 8,000 flights in the U.S. scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, the flight-tracking service FlightAware.com showed. Airports in St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit canceled more flights than usual. Almost 700 flights were canceled Thursday alone at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, and more than 300 were canceled at nearby Dallas Love Field.
In an effort to stay ahead of the weather, Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that it would suspend all of its flight operations Wednesday at St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Thursday at its Dallas Love Field hub.
National Weather Service forecasters in Little Rock put their own spin on the Groundhog Day tradition with a photo of their office cat, Tarmac, and the caption: “SHADOWS EVERYWHERE! THE WINTER STORM IS HAPPENING!”
Bleed reported from Little Rock, Arkansas. Associated Press writers John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois; Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas; Terry Wallace in Dallas; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; Rick Callahan in Indianapolis; James Anderson in Denver; Teresa Crawford in Chicago; Mike Householder in Canton, Mich.; Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Ky. and Jeff Martin in Woodstock, Georgia, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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