Ice storm coats parts of Southern U.S.

Icy roads in St. Louis

In this story: Hundreds of flights canceled Working to clear the roads Midwest digs out, South bundles up Strong winds knock out power in the East RELATED STORIES, SITES

DALLAS, Texas -- A day after a blustery snowstorm dumped several inches of snow on the Midwest, sleet and freezing rain iced up highways and runways across parts of the Southern U.S., causing hundreds of wrecks and canceled flights.

VIDEO Correspondent Melanie Brooks shows how dangerous the roads are around Detroit (December 12) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) The snow stopped planes and crippled cars in Chicago. CNN's Jeff Flock is in the middle of it (December 12) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch as the American Midwest gets buried in snow (December 12) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)    U.S. WEBCAMS Dallas webcam: EarthCam - Dallas Cam Chicago webcam: WGN-TV Detroit webcams: Detroit Now / WXYZ-TV : Tower Cam LIVE TrueLook from Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers' park) Fort Wayne, Indiana webcam: Fort Wayne City Cam Bismarck, ND Airport cam: Bismarck Weather Camera     GALLERY Images from the storm   RESOURCES Find out how it can be 38 degrees and snowing, prepare your home and car for the cold and know how winter can affect your health, in CNN.com's Winter Weather In-Depth Special     MESSAGE BOARD Travel troubles     TRAVEL DELAY INFORMATION Check for the latest travel delays on the FAA'S Web site

In Texas, roads were icy and treacherous Wednesday morning as far south as Del Rio and Victoria, an area that includes all but the state's southern tip. At least one traffic death in Dallas was blamed on the storm.

"People are slipping and sliding," said Janell Jones, a truck stop cashier in Mesquite, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. "There are some truckers that are stranded, but most are smart enough to park the things."

The full effect of the wintry blast was expected to be felt during rush hour Wednesday morning, when commuters head to work.

Meanwhile, schools throughout North Texas, as well as many businesses, are closed because of the winter storm.

American Airlines canceled 180 flights Wednesday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, spokeswoman Sonya Whitemon said. Southwest Airlines canceled 70 to 80 flights late Tuesday out of Dallas' Love Field, said spokeswoman Kristin Nelson.

Stranded at Dallas-Fort Worth, Kathleen Mitchell claimed a cot set up Tuesday night for would-be travelers and contemplated the final exams she was missing at LeTourneau University in Longview.

"Hopefully they'll let me reschedule, but if not, I'll have to scrap the whole semester," she said. "Most of my books are in my luggage, and they won't let us have that, so I really can't even study."

Texas Transportation Department crews sprayed ice-preventing chemicals on major freeways in Houston. As much as 4 inches of snow could accumulate north of Dallas, said Steve Fano, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"You may have an inch of snow or ice fall on the ground, then freezing rain on top of it, which could make traveling very treacherous," he said.

Snow blanketed northern Arkansas overnight, while sleet and freezing rain fell on the central and southern portions of the state. As much as an inch of ice was forecast for Little Rock, Arkansas.

Eight inches of snow was forecast for Missouri. Springfield, Missouri, already had 8 inches of snow by early Wednesday morning, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen. Heavy snow also was expected in St. Louis.

The bitter cold blanketed a huge part of the nation's midsection. In Tulsa, Oklahoma, the temperature dropped to 18 degrees Tuesday. Fargo, North Dakota, had a high of minus 5 degrees, while the mercury in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin hovered around zero.

Meanwhile, clear skies helped the Midwest recover somewhat from Monday's storm, which dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas.

"We've got all of our rec centers, our health facilities, all of our municipal offices open," said Michelle Zdrodowski, spokeswoman for Detroit's mayor. "The sun is helping. As we lay the salt down, it helps to clear things up."

Northwest Airlines was returning to normal after canceling 125 flights Tuesday at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, said spokesman Matt Friedman.

High winds knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses in Ohio, where gusts reached 80 mph. More than 250,000 customers lost electricity in Pennsylvania, and thousands more had no power in West Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

In Pennsylvania, falling trees killed two people. In New York City, a construction sign fell on a school bus. Fifteen children were taken to a hospital, but none was seriously hurt.

Strong wind gusts were blamed for 160 flight cancellations at La Guardia airport in New York, and delays were reported in Boston and Newark.

"Hey, what are you gonna do about it?" said businessman Ed Lynch, whose flight to New York never left Washington. "I'll tell you one thing: I'd rather be sitting here than flipped over at La Guardia."

Wintry weather from Texas to Northeast; Midwest digs out
December 12, 2000
Chicago braces for blizzard; storm hits Midwest
December 11, 2000
Cold front could further strain California's power supply
December 8, 2000

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