Get ready Midwest United States

'Freaking out' over Midwest megastorm
Icy roads, 2 feet of snow expected — as well as blizzard conditions and 5-10 foot drifts

CHICAGO — A monster winter storm had the central U.S. gearing up its defenses on Monday against a potentially deadly mix of sleet, snow and ice that could affect 100 million people by the time it blows through the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.

While record snowfalls have pounded the Northeast in what's shaping up to be one of that region's most brutal winters, the Midwest has been comparatively unscathed. Not this time: Up to two feet of snow was forecast for some cities, and the storm was expected to carve a frigid path from Colorado to New England by week's end. Thunderstorms and tornadoes were possible farther south.

In St. Louis, folks lined up by 7 a.m. Monday outside Edele and Mertz Hardware just a few blocks from the Anheuser-Busch brewery, waiting for the store to open. Snow shovels were big sellers, but worker Steve Edele said ice melt and salt were flying out the door.

"'Freaking out' is a great way of putting it," Edele said. "The icing — that's what scares people."

As the first flakes fell, transportation officials from Kansas City to Detroit readied storm-fighting equipment and some airlines encouraged travelers to rebook flights leaving from Chicago's major airports.

The National Weather Service, meanwhile, suggested any Green Bay Packers fans planning to road trip from Wisconsin to Dallas for the Super Bowl not leave before Wednesday afternoon, by which time authorities hope to have responded to the worst of the weather along the route.
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"This storm will produce significant impacts across a large portion of the central United States," the National Weather Service said.

Chicago, for one, could see 50 mph wind gusts and wind chills a few digits below zero by Tuesday night.

And the Indianapolis area was told by the weather service to expect "devastating conditions" due to a predicted inch of ice and 15-25 mph winds Tuesday night. "Long duration power outages appear possible" as trees and power lines will likely be taken down, it added.

For now, officials are urging residents in the storm's path to stay put.

"We don't like to stop for anything, weather or otherwise," said weather service meteorologist Edward Fenelon. "But this may be one of those storms best handled from the comfort of the great indoors."

'Stripe of snow'
The storm's "stripe of snow" will move eastward across the central plains and into the Ohio Valley and touch parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, according to a mapped forecast of the storm's movements by The Weather Channel.

The weather service said the storm could drop up to an inch of freezing rain and issued a blizzard watch for Tuesday and Wednesday for southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana. Snow drifts of 5 feet to 10 feet were possible and winds could reach up to 60 mph in open areas and near Lake Michigan.

"Conditions will rapidly deteriorate from north to south across the region Tuesday afternoon with travel likely becoming virtually impossible at times Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning," the weather service warned, adding that snow will be so heavy at times Tuesday night that plows will not be able to keep up.

Bitterly cold temperatures were forecast in the wake of the storm, with wind chills as cold as 40 degrees below zero possible for parts of North Dakota, South Dakota and other areas.

Dozens of day cares, community organizations, universities and school districts in Kansas and Missouri canceled classes Monday.

The Oklahoma Blood Institute sought immediate blood donations, saying while its current supply is adequate, it could run low if the storm results in a significant slow-down in donations for a couple days.

Slides, crashes already
Freezing drizzle coated roadways across the Plains on Monday. A school bus slid off the road in a south Kansas City, Mo., school district, slightly injuring two students. A Wisconsin state trooper was struck and seriously injured while directing traffic around another accident, while the Minnesota State Patrol reported more than 200 crashes statewide, including one authorities said was fatal.

Residents braced for the worse in St. Louis and throughout Missouri, with forecasters calling for a particularly hazardous and potentially deadly mix: Up to an inch of ice, followed by 3-4 inches of sleet, then perhaps a half-foot of snow or more.

Forecasters predicted between 12 inches and 16 inches of snowfall in Columbia, where the university's men's basketball team prepared to leave a day early for a road game at Oklahoma State University scheduled for Wednesday night in Stillwater.

St. Louis-based utility company Ameren opened its emergency operations center amid worries that the weight of the ice and snow could duplicate a severe crisis in 2006, when an ice storm downed thousands of trees and power lines. Parts of southeast Missouri were left without electricity for more than a week.

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels directed his state's Department of Homeland Security to coordinate preparations and his office was meeting with utility companies, local emergency agencies, the state highway department and National Guard.

Once the storm has moved through, bitterly cold temperatures are expected to grip much of the region.

After slamming the Plains and Midwest, the storm will move into the Appalachians, mid-Atlantic, and New England regions early Wednesday morning, Groundhog Day, with conditions improving early Thursday, The Weather Channel said.

The heaviest snow is expected across the interior northeast from Pennsylvania into upstate New York and New England.

In New Hampshire, where pedestrians have been forced to walk in the street in some places because of piled-up snow, crews rushed to remove it before a new foot or so fell on the state.

In the South, Gulf Coast states are also expected to see severe weather overnight and Tuesday in the form of hail, strong winds and possible twisters.

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