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Wintry blast slams nation

Heaviest snowfall in a decade possible for parts of the US; 3-5 inches likely here

Enrique Davila crosses the street with his dog, Chula, as heavy snow falls Sunday in St. Louis. The Associated Press

A blast of snow, ice, wind and plunging temperatures stirred up dangerous travel conditions in parts of the central U.S. on Sunday, as a disruptive winter storm brought the possibility of the “heaviest snowfall in a decade” to some areas.

Snow and ice blanketed major roadways in nearly all of Kansas, western Nebraska and parts of Indiana, where the state’s National Guard was activated to help any motorists who were stuck. At least 8 inches of snow were expected, particularly north of Interstate 70, as the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for Kansas and Missouri, where blizzard conditions brought wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour. The warning extended to New Jersey for Monday and into early Tuesday.

“For locations in this region that receive the highest snow totals, it may be the heaviest snowfall in at least a decade,” the weather service said early Sunday.

About 63 million people in the U.S. were under some kind of winter weather advisory, watch or warning on Sunday, according to Bob Oravec with the National Weather Service.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Blair, Cambria and Huntingdon counties in effect through 10 p.m. Monday. Total snow accumulation between 3 and 5 inches is expected to create slippery road conditions and hazardous travel for Monday morning and evening commutes.

The polar vortex of ultra-cold air usually spins around the North Pole. People in the U.S., Europe and Asia experience its intense cold when the vortex escapes and stretches south.

Studies show a fast-warming Arctic is partly to blame for the increasing frequency of the polar vortex extending its icy grip.

Snow, ice forecast; tornadoes possible

In Indiana, snow fully covered portions of Interstate 64, Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 41, prompting Indiana State Police to plead with motorists to stay off the roads as plows worked to keep up with the pace of the precipitation.

“It’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again,” Sgt. Todd Ringle said.

A section of I-70 was closed in central Kansas by Saturday afternoon. Roughly 10 inches of snow had fallen in parts of the state, with snow and sleet totals predicted to top 14 inches for parts of Kansas and northern Missouri.

In Kentucky, Louisville recorded 7.7 inches of snow on Sunday, a new record for the date that shattered the previous mark of 3 inches set in 1910. Lexington, Kentucky, also set a snowfall record, with 5 inches.

Parts of upstate New York saw 3 feet or more of snow from a lake effect event expected to last until late Sunday afternoon.

The storm was forecast to move into the Ohio Valley and reach the Mid-Atlantic states later Sunday and into Monday, with a hard freeze expected as far south as Florida.

Damaging winds brought down trees across the Deep South. The weather service issued tornado warnings Sunday in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Car wrecks abound

The weather service warned that road travel could be “very difficult to impossible.”

By Sunday, dozens of car accidents had been reported in Virginia, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Kentucky, where a state trooper was treated for non-life-threatening injuries after his police car was hit on Interstate 65.

Highways in northeastern Kansas were closed due to “impassable” conditions, according to the state’s Transportation Department. The closures included roughly 220 miles of the state’s main artery, Interstate 70, from the Missouri border into central Kansas.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who declared a state emergency ahead of the storm, said state buildings would be closed Monday.

“We see far too many wrecks out there for people that do not have to be on the roads, so I want to ask: Stay inside. Stay safe with your family. Let the road crews do their work,” the governor said in a video posted to social media.

Air, rail travel

The storms also caused havoc for the nation’s railways, leading to numerous cancelations. More than 20 cancelations were planned on Sunday, 40 for Monday and at least two for Tuesday.

“If local authorities are telling people not to travel, it’s counterintuitive to try to run a full slate of services when people are being told to stay home,” Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said. “Likewise, we know our people are going to have trouble getting in to work.”

The Midwest was hit especially hard. A train between Chicago and New York and several regional trains between Chicago and St. Louis were among those canceled Sunday.

Nearly 200 flights in and out of St. Louis Lambert International Airport were canceled, according to tracking platform FlightAware.

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