Blizzards close highways, schools and government offices in the central United States

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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A major storm that slammed much of the central United States with more than half a foot (15 centimeters) of snow and gusty winds caused a lack of visibility that forced the closure of stretches of roads. two interstate highways and forced authorities to close schools and government offices in several states on Tuesday.

Up to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters) of snow could cover a wide area from southeastern Colorado and into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, including western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, much of Iowa, northern Missouri and northwestern Illinois, said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in College Park, Maryland.

In the northern city of Athol, Kansas, nearly 8 inches (19 centimeters) of snow fell on Monday. The weather service in Lincoln, Nebraska, said another 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) could fall overnight, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour).

Lack of visibility in central Nebraska closed a long stretch of Interstate 80, while Kansas closed Interstate 70 from the central city of Russell and to the Colorado border due to hazardous conditions. Several vehicles left I-70 in the northeast of the state, according to authorities.

In Nebraska, federal courts in Omaha and Lincoln closed Monday, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers increased water flow at the Missouri River Dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near Yankton to reduce the chances of ice forming blockages. Dubuque, on Iowa’s eastern border with Illinois, closed its municipal offices on Tuesday. Schools in Cedar Rapids, in eastern Iowa, were among those that closed their doors.

The weather has already affected campaign events for the Jan. 15 precinct caucuses in Iowa, where snow was expected to be followed by frigid temperatures of about -18 degrees Celsius (below zero degrees Fahrenheit).

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign had to cancel several appointments by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who were scheduled to address Iowa voters on Trump’s behalf.

Parts of northern Missouri were bracing for up to a foot (30 cm) of snow as the system moved east.

Madison, Wisconsin, was under a storm warning through Wednesday morning, with forecasts of up to 9 inches (23 cm) of snow and 40 mph (64 km/h) winds. The municipal authorities canceled garbage collection to prevent residents from putting garbage cans on the sidewalks and complicating the work of the snowplows.

Northwestern Illinois was also under a storm watch, and warnings were issued for the Chicago area and Gary, Indiana. The complications extended to the northwestern part of Oklahoma, where emergency managers in Cimmaron County asked people to stay home.

Another storm was headed toward the northwest Pacific coast and northern Rockies, Oravec said. Blizzard warnings covered much of the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges in Washington and Oregon.