Over 1m people hit by blizzard conditions across large swathes of US central plains

NEW YORK - Nearly one million people across the Northern and Central Plains were under blizzard or ice storm warnings on Dec 26, and one was person was killed in a traffic accident on Christmas, as heavy snow, freezing rain and powerful winds created treacherous road conditions which forecasters said could last through early Dec 27.

A blizzard warning affecting more than 550,000 people in parts of five states on the afternoon of Dec 26 – Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming – is expected to be in effect until early in the morning of Dec 27 in parts of the region that may get up to 15cm of snow and wind gusts of up to about 100kmh, the National Weather Service said.

A storm is a blizzard when it contains large amounts of snow, winds of more than 50kmh and visibility of less than half a kilometre for at least three hours.

An 86-year-old woman in Kansas was killed on the evening of Dec 25 after a man driving a pickup truck on State Highway 156 lost control on the icy, snowy road and slid into oncoming traffic, said the Kansas Highway Patrol.

The woman, identified as Ms Evelyn D. Reece of Wichita, Kansas, was riding in a sport utility vehicle that was struck by the truck, the authorities said. She died at the scene. Three people were taken to a hospital for injuries.

Nearly 400,000 people were under an ice storm warning on the afternoon of Dec 26 in the Dakotas and a slice of western Minnesota. A dangerous mix of sleet and freezing rain was expected to blanket the Dakotas and northern Minnesota on Dec 26, bringing ice accumulation totals to more than 1cm and creating hazardous travel conditions, said the weather service.

As the storm exits the Plains, a wintry mix will likely follow into a portion of the Mississippi Valley on Dec 27.

Parts of Nebraska and South Dakota had recorded about 10cm of snow as at the morning of Dec 26, though strong winds prevented accurate readings, said Ms Amanda Viken, a meteorologist at the weather service’s office in North Platte, Nebraska. Some towns in south-eastern South Dakota had received up to 30cm of snow since Dec 25, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Before the storm tapers off the night of Dec 26 into Dec 27, up to 10cm more of snow is expected in western South Dakota, western Nebraska, far-eastern Wyoming and north-eastern Colorado, the weather service said. In areas where snowfall has stopped or slowed, freezing temperatures and wind gusts of more than 90kmh could cause icy roads and white-out conditions throughout the day, forecasters said.

“It’s pretty slick out, and the visibility restrictions that we’re seeing with this strong wind aren’t helping,” Ms Viken said.

Snow showers and blustery north winds were sweeping across northwest Nebraska on Dec 26, causing visibility to be below 1.5km in some areas, the weather service said on social media.

The Lincoln County Emergency Management in Nebraska said on Dec 26 that Interstate 80 was being closed in both directions between Paxton and Big Springs because of white-out conditions and accidents.

“Be safe and take it slow if you’re travelling today,” the Nebraska State Patrol said on social media on Dec 26.

On Dec 25, the South Dakota Department of Transportation said in a statement that conditions were “approaching near zero visibility” on roads covered in snow and ice, prompting officials to close parts of Interstate 90 through the morning of Dec 26.

In Kansas, state transportation officials temporarily closed Interstate 70 from Goodland, in north-western Kansas, west to the Colorado state line and warned that roads were “partially covered or snow-packed” on the morning of Dec 26. Interstate 70 was reopened, but parts of other roads remain closed, according to transportation officials.

Troopers responded to nearly 150 “weather-related incidents” on roadways in Nebraska on Dec 25, said Nebraska State Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas.

An accident involving several jack-knifed tractor-trailers forced a section of eastbound Interstate 80 near York, Nebraska, to close for about three hours on the afternoon of Dec 25, the Nebraska State Patrol said. There were no injuries in the accident, which was partly caused by blowing snow and slick road conditions, Mr Thomas said in a statement.

Forecasters warned that power outages were possible, particularly in South Dakota, as strong winds could damage trees and knock down power lines. There were no reports of widespread power outages, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks the utility industry, as at the afternoon of Dec 26.

The impact on air travel appeared to be relatively modest at the outset of the storm but worsened throughout the day. About 126 flights within, into or out of the United States on Dec 26 had been cancelled as at the afternoon, according to FlightAware. About 4,300 flights across the country had been delayed.l

Holiday travellers who planned to hit the road on Dec 26 should take caution on the road, said Mr Matthew Meyers, a meteorologist at the weather service office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. In the south-eastern part of the state, temperatures were expected to remain below freezing, causing much of the rain that had fallen overnight to refreeze.

“If they can, they should take it pretty slow,” he said. “It’s going to be slick out there.” NYTIMES