ST. LOUIS (AP) — A thick glaze of ice covered roads from Oklahoma to southern Illinois today amid a winter storm that caused numerous wrecks, forced cancellation of schools, grounded flights and prompted dire warnings for people to stay home.

Winter storms are typically associated with heavy snowfall, but the one hammering the southern Plains and Midwest dumped freezing rain, a condition even harder for road crews to treat. A slick roadway was suspected in a fatal wreck in Missouri, where long stretches of Interstate 44 and Interstate 55 were ice-covered.

More freezing precipitation was expected in parts of the nation's central corridor throughout most of the holiday weekend.

"There's no mystery to driving on ice," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Al Nothum said. "It's impossible to do. You have to slow your speed down."

Hundreds of schools were closed, including several college campuses. St. Louis closed all city operations as it braced for its worst ice storm in at least a decade. Several Missouri prisons halted visiting hours.

The weather atmosphere was so turbulent that thunder rumbled as freezing rain fell in Joplin, Mo.

Several utility companies brought in all available crews who were working extended shifts in anticipation of heavy ice snapping trees and power lines. Scattered outages were reported, including about 2,500 in Springfield, Mo. </s> (Reuters) - A winter storm bringing icy rain to the Great Plains and Midwest claimed the life of a Missouri woman on Friday, prompted the delay of an NFL football game and threatened power outages and treacherous conditions throughout the weekend.

Ice, freezing rain and winter storm warnings were in effect from the Texas panhandle north into Iowa and east through central Indiana, the Weather Service said in an advisory, and both Missouri and Oklahoma had declared states of emergency.

“Significant amounts of ice accumulations will make travel dangerous or impossible,” the weather service said. “Travel is strongly discouraged. Commerce will likely be severely impacted.”

The storm’s first known casualty was Tiffany Jackson, 31, of Crystal City, Missouri, who police said lost control after driving too fast on an icy overpass. Her vehicle slid off the road and struck multiple trees, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said, causing her to die at the scene.

Forecasters warned that ice accumulation from the storm could be more than half an inch (1 cm), creating slick roadways especially on bridges and overpasses, and possibly causing scattered power outages across the region, the service said.

The National Football League postponed the start time of a divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Kansas City from around noon local time on Sunday to 7:20 pm, when conditions are expected to ease, the Chiefs said on the team’s website.

In St. Louis, the Cardinals baseball team canceled Saturday’s first day of its three-day “Winter Warm-Up” fan event, a benefit for youth baseball leagues and other organizations supported by the team, citing weather concerns.

On Thursday, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency for the entire state.

“Emergency personnel are coordinating with state and local officials to ensure we are ... ready for whatever comes our way,” said Fallin.

A handful of public schools, government offices and universities in Idaho, Oklahoma and other parts of the central region were shut down on Friday or had delayed openings due to the impending storm.

Parts of the region could also see as much as 3 inches (8 cm) of snow later in the weekend, according to the forecast.

“The best thing to do when it’s icy is stay home,” the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said, adding that those who do venture out should heed the advice: “Ice and snow, take it slow.” </s> ST. LOUIS (AP) — A thick glaze of ice covered roads from Oklahoma to southern Illinois on Friday amid a winter storm that caused numerous wrecks, forced cancellation of schools, grounded flights and prompted dire warnings for people to stay home.

Winter storms are typically associated with heavy snowfall, but the one hammering the southern Plains and Midwest dumped freezing rain, a condition even harder for road crews to treat. A slick roadway was suspected in a fatal wreck in Missouri, where long stretches of Interstate 44 and Interstate 55 were ice-covered.

More freezing precipitation was expected in parts of the nation’s central corridor throughout most of the holiday weekend.

“There’s no mystery to driving on ice,” Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Al Nothum said. “It’s impossible to do. You have to slow your speed down.”

Hundreds of schools were closed, including several college campuses. St. Louis closed all city operations as it braced for its worst ice storm in at least a decade. Several Missouri prisons halted visiting hours.

The weather atmosphere was so turbulent that thunder rumbled as freezing rain fell in Joplin, Missouri.

Several utility companies brought in all available crews who were working extended shifts in anticipation of heavy ice snapping trees and power lines. Scattered outages were reported, including about 2,500 in Springfield, Missouri.

Forecasters issued ice storm warnings from the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles into southern Illinois, with up to 1 inch of ice expected in some locations. Precipitation is forecast to fall in waves Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Residents were taking the warnings seriously. Grocery stores were selling out of bread, milk and other necessities, and hardware stores were running out of flashlights, batteries and alternative energy sources.

“They’re grabbing generators, and I’m sold out,” said Raymond Bopp, assistant manager of the Woodward Ace Hardware store in Woodward, Oklahoma, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

Several states activated emergency management procedures. In Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin declared a disaster emergency. The state set up generators and supplies at temporary shelters in the northern part of the state. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and top cabinet officials manned an emergency operations center. Kansas officials were still waiting for the worst of it, with freezing rain in much of the state expected to arrive Saturday.

Missouri Department of Transportation crews were working 12-hour shifts to treat roads and highways, though as some of the freezing rain melted, it washed the chemicals away, said Linda Wilson Horn, a spokeswoman for MoDOT.

“It’ll be a long, constant battle for our crews,” Horn said.

A driver was killed Friday morning when her SUV veered off of Interstate 55 near Festus, Missouri, south of St. Louis. The Highway Patrol said Tiffany Jackson, 33, died when her Chevy Trailblazer slid out of control on an icy overpass and struck several trees. The highway patrol said two other people were hurt in weather-related wrecks.

Lambert Airport spokesman Jeff Lea said that by late morning, 60 arriving flights and 48 departing flights at Missouri’s largest airport have been canceled due to the ice. A handful of flights were canceled at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport, but the airport remained open, according to a spokesman.

The storm began in California, dumping heavy snowfall in higher elevations that led to the evacuation of thousands of people as rivers surged. </s> ST. LOUIS (AP) — A thick glaze of ice covered roads from Oklahoma to southern Illinois on Friday amid a winter storm that caused numerous wrecks, forced school cancellations, grounded flights and prompted dire warnings for people to stay home.

Winter storms are typically associated with heavy snowfall, but the one hammering the southern Plains and Midwest dumped freezing rain, a condition even harder for road crews to treat. A slick roadway was suspected in a fatal wreck in Missouri, where long stretches of Interstate 44 and Interstate 55 were ice-covered.

More freezing precipitation was expected in parts of the nation's central corridor throughout most of the holiday weekend.

"There's no mystery to driving on ice," Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Al Nothum said. "It's impossible to do. You have to slow your speed down."

Hundreds of schools were closed, including several college campuses. St. Louis closed all city operations as it braced for its worst ice storm in at least a decade. Several Missouri prisons halted visiting hours.

The forecast for prompted the NFL to move Sunday's AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas Chiefs to Sunday evening to allow more time to treat roads and parking lots at Arrowhead Stadium. The game was scheduled to kick off a noon but will now start at 7:20 p.m.

The weather atmosphere was so turbulent that thunder rumbled as freezing rain fell in Joplin, Missouri.

Several utility companies brought in all available crews who were working extended shifts in anticipation of heavy ice snapping trees and power lines. Scattered outages were reported, including about 2,500 in Springfield, Missouri. The Kansas National Guard mobilized about 200 soldiers to help first responders and stranded motorists throughout the weekend.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and several officials thanked residents for heeding warnings to stay home. T

he Missouri State Highway Patrol said it responded to about 100 crashes on Friday, with one fatality related to the storm.

National Weather Service meteorologist Steven Runnels said up to a half-inch of ice stretch from Joplin to St. Louis with "minimal impact." But he warned that freezing rain would increase late Friday and early Saturday in west-central Missouri, and then hit Kansas City and northern Missouri on Saturday night.

Forecasters issued ice storm warnings from the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles into southern Illinois, with up to 1 inch of ice expected in some locations. Precipitation is forecast to fall in waves Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Residents were taking the warnings seriously. Grocery stores were selling out of bread, milk and other necessities, and hardware stores were running out of flashlights, batteries and alternative energy sources.

"They're grabbing generators, and I'm sold out," said Raymond Bopp, assistant manager of the Woodward Ace Hardware store in Woodward, Oklahoma, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.

Several states activated emergency management procedures. In Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin declared a disaster emergency. The state set up generators and supplies at temporary shelters in the northern part of the state. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and top cabinet officials manned an emergency operations center. Kansas officials were still waiting for the worst of it, with freezing rain in much of the state expected to arrive Saturday.

Missouri Department of Transportation crews were working 12-hour shifts to treat roads and highways, though as some of the freezing rain melted, it washed the chemicals away, said Linda Wilson Horn, a spokeswoman for MoDOT.

"It'll be a long, constant battle for our crews," Horn said.

A driver was killed Friday morning when her SUV veered off of Interstate 55 near Festus, Missouri, south of St. Louis. The Highway Patrol said Tiffany Jackson, 33, died when her Chevy Trailblazer slid out of control on an icy overpass and struck several trees. The highway patrol said two other people were hurt in weather-related wrecks.

Lambert Airport spokesman Jeff Lea said that by late morning, 60 arriving flights and 48 departing flights at Missouri's largest airport have been canceled due to the ice. A handful of flights were canceled at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, but the airport remained open, according to a spokesman.

The storm began in California, dumping heavy snowfall in higher elevations that led to the evacuation of thousands of people as rivers surged.

Associated Press reporters Tim Talley and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City, and Heather Hollingsworth and Jim Suhr in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

The story has been corrected to reflect that the driver killed in a Missouri SUV accident was a woman. </s> The Missouri National Guard has been activated to assist emergency response agencies with the ice storm across a 1,000-mile swath of the midwest.

 Ice has started to accumulate on roads, sidewalks, trees, powerlines and houses. Missouri Department of Transportation continues to heavily treat roadways against freezing rain and sleet. 

 The National Weather Service has predicted a winter storm that could produce between a quarter inch up to more than half an inch of ice in Missouri, beginning early today. 

 Downed powerlines could cause a loss of power in some areas, leaving residents without heat. Temperatures are low, which could cause a potential hazard if prolonged exposure occurs.

 Missouri Guardsmen will be supporting relief agencies throughout affected Missouri areas, with missions that could include assisting stranded motorists, helping with clearing routes and helping residents get to shelter. </s> Freezing rain and snow have already started to fall in parts of the Plains and Midwest. Ice storm warnings are in effect for parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois this weekend.

Greg Postel (@GregPostel), hurricane and storm specialist with the Weather Channel, tells Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson about the trajectory of the storm and why some regions will see crippling impacts including fallen trees, power outages and slippery roads. </s> More than a dozen states across the central United States are bracing for another round of winter storms expected to add to thick ice that already has glazed roads, grounded flights and prompted class cancellations amid warnings that people stay home.

Winter storms are typically associated with heavy snowfall, but the one that began hammering the southern Plains and Midwest on Friday dumped freezing rain — a condition even harder for road crews to treat. A slick roadway was suspected in a fatal wreck Friday in Missouri, where long stretches of Interstate 44 and Interstate 55 were ice-covered.

More freezing precipitation was expected in parts of the nation's central corridor throughout most of the weekend.

While many motorists heeded warnings to avoid road travel Friday, Butch Shadrick said his towing service in Missouri's St. Clair, about 80 kilometres southwest of St. Louis, said his fleet of five trucks handled at least eight calls for travellers who found themselves in ditches or other wrecks. That was after storms left about a quarter of an inch of sleet on that region, with the accumulation expected to double into Saturday.

"There's not a lot of people out there, but the ones who are are the ones paying the consequences," Shadrick said from his Hoffman's Towing & Service business.

In Kansas, the state's National Guard was mobilizing in advance of Saturday's storm, designating roughly 200 guardsmen to patrol key roads and help motorists stranded by icy conditions. The teams of soldiers also were to provide emergency transportation for law enforcers and other emergency responders, while staying ready to make warming stations available at local armouries as needed.

Hundreds of schools were closed Friday, including several college campuses. St. Louis closed all city operations as it braced for what could be its worst ice storm in at least a decade. Several Missouri prisons halted visiting hours.

The forecast prompted the NFL to move the AFC divisional playoff game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas Chiefs to Sunday evening to allow more time to treat roads and parking lots at Arrowhead Stadium. The game was scheduled to kick off at noon but will now start at 7:20 p.m.

The weather atmosphere was so turbulent that thunder rumbled as freezing rain fell in Joplin, Missouri.

Several utility companies brought in all available crews who were working extended shifts in anticipation of heavy ice snapping trees and power lines. Scattered outages were reported, including about 2,500 in Springfield, Missouri.

Forecasters issued ice storm warnings from the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles into southern Illinois, with up to 2.5 centimetres of ice expected in some locations. Precipitation is forecast to fall in waves Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Residents were taking the warnings seriously. Grocery stores were selling out of bread, milk and other necessities, and hardware stores were running out of flashlights, batteries and alternative energy sources.

"They're grabbing generators, and I'm sold out," said Raymond Bopp, assistant manager of the Woodward Ace Hardware store in Woodward, Oklahoma, about 225 kilometres northwest of Oklahoma City.

Several states activated emergency management procedures. In Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin declared a disaster emergency. The state set up generators and supplies at temporary shelters in the northern part of the state. Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and top Cabinet officials manned an emergency operations centre.

Missouri Department of Transportation crews were working 12-hour shifts to treat roads and highways, said Linda Wilson Horn, a MoDOT spokeswoman. She said some of the freezing rain washed the chemicals away as it melted.

"It'll be a long, constant battle for our crews," Horn said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Tiffany Jackson, 33, died Friday morning when her Chevy Trailblazer slid on an icy overpass on Interstate 55 near Festus, south of St. Louis, and struck several trees. The patrol said at least two other people were hurt in weather-related wrecks.

Lambert Airport spokesman Jeff Lea said that by late Friday morning, 60 arriving flights and 48 departing flights at Missouri's largest airport had been canceled due to the ice. A handful of flights were canceled at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, but the airport remained open, according to a spokesman. </s> A major winter storm brought some of the coldest temperatures of the season and blanketed a wide swath of the country in snow. The storm wreaked havoc on air travel and caused dangerously icy conditions throughout New England on Sunday. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings or advisories for part or all of at least 15 states stretching from southeast Missouri to the northern tip of Maine ahead of the weekend storm.

A 15-vehicle crash has blocked a section of Interstate 55 in southeastern Missouri as snow from a massive winter storm swept through the area and slicked roads. The Missouri Department of Transportation issued the news of the pileup near Ste. Genevieve on its Twitter page around 4 p.m. Saturday. The department says the interstate was blocked because of the crash, which included a responding firetruck. Motorists were urged to find an alternate route. There was no immediate word on injuries. Transportation officials said crews hoped to clear the interstate's lanes within a few hours, but said snowfall was slowing that work. Officials say many roads in Missouri have been slicked over with ice from rain earlier in the day before conditions turned to snow and plummeting temperatures.

A United Airlines plane has skidded off a runway at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport amid snowy and icy weather. Chicago fire officials say the incident occurred Saturday morning. No injuries were reported. The flight came into the airport from Phoenix and 129 people were on the plane. A massive winter storm has brought up to 10 inches of snow to some parts of the Midwest and is expected to hit the Northeast on Sunday. The storm prompted the cancellation of nearly 1,000 flights at Chicago's airports on Saturday. The average delay at O'Hare International Airport was nearly an hour on Saturday afternoon.

Many people across the Midwest woke up to see a coating of snow or ice on Saturday. Areas where the storm had already moved out by midday faced bitter cold and strong winds. Some Midwesterns didn't let it keep them indoors. Celeste Tremmel was outside in Detroit on Saturday training for a marathon. The 56-year-old chugged slowly through the several-inch-deep snow. "When you run a marathon, you run no matter the weather," she said. Tremmel said running in snow is "like running in sand, so you have to go a lot slower."

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont held a news briefing Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET to update residents as the state prepares for the storm. Lamont announced on Saturday that he will "partially activate" Connecticut's Emergency Operations Center starting at 6:00 p.m. to monitor storm conditions. "Forecasts are showing a range of accumulating snow, sleet, and freezing rain," his office said in a news release Saturday. During the partial activation, the EOC will be staffed w/ personnel from #CTDESPP (including @CTDEMHS, @CT_STATE_POLICE, and Cmsn on Fire Prevention and Control), #CTDOT, @CTNationalGuard, @CTDPH, and liaisons from @EversourceCT and @UnitedIllum — Gov. Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) January 19, 2019

Salt spreaders are hitting the streets as the Tri-State area prepares for the winter weather headed its way, CBS New York reported. About 700 spreaders and 1,600 plows will be deployed this weekend across New York City. Extra precautions are being taken to make sure the city is better prepared than it was just a few months ago, when thousands of drivers were stalled in traffic all night during a minor snowstorm. This time, public works and utility crews were getting prepared on Friday.

Officials have warned of flight disruptions at airports, as well as possible changes in train schedules. By Saturday morning, 1,135 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled for Saturday, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware. Chicago's O'Hare International Airport reported that airlines there canceled nearly 470 flights "due to overnight snow and strong winds expected throughout the day." It advised travelers to get updates from airlines. Due to overnight snow and strong winds expected throughout the day, airlines at ORD have cancelled nearly 470 flights. For most up to date flight info, check directly with carrier. — O'Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) January 19, 2019 

Amtrak canceled some trains Saturday from Chicago to Washington and New York and between New York and Boston and Pennsylvania on Sunday. Chicago is forecast to receive as much as 8 inches by Saturday and wind gusts in the Chicago area are expected to reach 35 mph.

On Friday, New Jersey and Pennsylvania declared states of emergency. "This storm has the potential to deliver every, every winter weather option that mother nature has," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfe said at a news conference. In New Jersey, the state of emergency will go into effect at noon Saturday. "Our top priority is the safety of New Jerseyans, and we urge residents to stay off the roads and prepare for potential power outages," said Gov. Phil Murphy.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for the weekend from the Dakotas across the Great Lakes states and into New England. It warned that conditions in the Northeast "could approach blizzard criteria." The National Weather Service in Albany, New York, said snow could fall at a rate of 1 to 3 inches an hour, creating "difficult to impossible travel conditions" in areas. Ice was also a possibility in some areas in the path of the storm, which was forecast to dump up to 2 feet of snow. In New York City, the worst of the storm is expected from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon, with snow accumulations of 3-6 inches followed by rain that could turn to ice as temperatures drop later Sunday. Single-digit temperatures could last into Monday. </s> A state of emergency has been declared in Nebraska after heavy rains and melting snow caused history flooding throughout the state. Governor Pete Ricketts declared the state of emergency in order to allow access to relief funds and other resources. There has been at least one flood-related death reported, after one man was swept away by floodwaters.

Bryan Tuma, assistant director of the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency told Omaha World Herald that a farmer was driving a tractor to help a motorist who was stuck in the rising waters when he was suddenly swept away and killed. 



There has been evacuation across multiple eastern Nebraska towns, as well as at least one town in Iowa. 



According to the Lincoln State Journal, there have been thousands of residents asked to leave their homes as floods worsen. 



The flooding is a result of a powerful winter storm, dubbed a “bomb cyclone” which has left blizzards, floods and tornadoes in its wake as it tracked across the US Mountain and Plains states this week. Read More: Kansas and Oklahoma on HIGH ALERT as 15 TORNADO warnings issued in US

Thirteen tornadoes were reported in Kentucky, Indiana and Michigan on Thursday according to Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.



However, none of the thirteen tornadoes was reported to have caused serious damage.



Dangerous flooding caused a dramatic rescue on Thursday, which saw emergency crew members saved by a National Guard helicopter after their boat capsized. 



The seven first responders were travelling along the Elkhorn River to assist a family trapped in their home when they capsized. 



It has now pushed eastwards into the Midwest and the Great Lakes Region as of early Friday local time. Persistent heavy rain from the severe storm falling on snowy and icy ground has caused rivers to swell and dangerous floodwaters to rise. 



This is impacting Nebraska, Wisconsin and other Midwestern States, whilst North Dakota faces severe winds and snow. 



Forecasters predict that flooding could last well into the weekend, with several highways becoming impassible in Wisconsin, and farmers worry that livestock would drown. 



Meteorologist Paul Fajman said: “With the frozen ground and amount of rain our area had, it was just a perfect set of circumstances that led to the flooding we’re seeing in Nebraska and Iowa.”



According to News Channel Nebraska, the Mormon Creek Bridge was completely washed away by the Niobrara River on Thursday morning. 



Residents who lived along the Niobrara were then urged to evacuate as the Spencer Dam failed. 



Flood waters have also destroyed and washed away Nebraska Department of Transportation buildings and equipment say News Channel Nebraska.
A winter storm pours ice rain on the Great Plains and American Midwest, causes power outages, school closures, and a traffic fatality in Missouri.