Ice Storm Wreaks Havoc Across U.S.

Storm Stretching From Southern Plains To Northeast Causes Blackouts, 13 Traffic Deaths

(CBS/AP)  Commuters contended with treacherous roads Monday from the southern Plains to the Northeast as a storm spread a coating of ice and freezing rain linked to at least 13 traffic deaths. Two other deaths also were blamed on the storm.

Thousands of people had no electricity and airline flights were canceled Monday in Oklahoma.

Winter weather warnings and advisories were posted along a cold front that stretched from Texas to New Hampshire.

Oklahoma got the worst of it, reports CBS News national correspondent Byron Pitts, as more than an inch of ice blanketed parts of the southern Plains and the nation's midsection. Eleven people were killed in traffic accidents across Oklahoma.

Nearly a half million homes and business were left in the dark when ice-covered power lines snapped in Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and portions of Illinois, adds Pitts.

Most morning flights were canceled at Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, where two of the three runways were iced over.

Oklahoma utilities said about 300,000 homes and businesses were blacked out Monday, mostly in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas. There was no way to estimate when power might be restored, said Oklahoma Gas & Electric spokesman Gil Broyles.

"This is a big one, we've got a massive situation here and it's probably going to be a week to 10 days before we get power on to everybody," said Ed Bettinger, a spokesman for Public Service Company. "It looks like a war zone."

CBS News meteorologist George Cullen reports there is no relief in sight for winter-weary residents.

"We have a new storm forming over the Southwest and unfortunately that's going to spread another round of sleet and freezing rain over the already ice covered Southern and Central Plains," reports Cullen.

The Oklahoma City suburb of Jones, a town of 2,500 people, had very low water pressure because there was no electricity to run well pumps, and firefighters said an early morning fire destroyed most of the local high school.

The utility AmerenUE said more than 30,000 customers remained without power Monday in Missouri and roughly 11,000 were blacked out in southern Illinois. On Sunday, blackouts affecting thousands of customers also were reported in parts of Illinois and Kansas.

The sound of branches snapping under the weight of ice echoed through Oklahoma City neighborhoods.

"You can hear them falling everywhere," Lonnie Compton said Monday as he shoveled ice off his driveway.

In the Northeast on Monday, many schools across upstate New York were closed or started late because of icy roads. Last Monday, a mixture of snow, rain and sleet closed schools across a large area of upstate New York state.

On ice-covered Interstate 40 west of Okemah, Okla., four people died in "one huge cluster of an accident" that involved 11 vehicles, including a tractor-trailer rig, said Highway Patrol Trooper Betsey Randolph. All 11 vehicles burned, she said.

Eight other people also died on icy Oklahoma roads, and Missouri had one death on a slippery highway. In addition, a transient died of hypothermia in Oklahoma City, the state medical examiner's office said.

In Bartlesville, Okla., about 40 miles north of Tulsa, the roads are covered with ice, says CBS reporter Dan Bewley.

"There's a lot of ice on the ground, the roads are very slick, the sidewalks are very slick, the parking lots are very slick here. There is ice covering the trees. The trees are dipping down into the power lines causing power outages," Bewley reports. "A very dangerous situation here in Oklahoma."

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt declared a state of emergency Sunday and activated the National Guard to aid communities affected by the storm.

In Chicago, poor weather and low visibility forced the cancellation of more than 400 flights Sunday at O'Hare International Airport, authorities said. Several flights were canceled at Kansas City International Airport and at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.

[gaye5]

sparkbox eheheheh, you are right, and even if all people voted sparkbox it would not make any difference as the weather is just going through its centuries phases. nothing man does can help.. All it is doing is making many trillions, for what..
Global warming is just going back to how it was a few centuries ago.. or is it the turning of going to another ice age.. who knows, and we can do nothing but prepare ourselves to cope in which ever. I will say though we must do something about the pollution, as now that we are cutting down so many trillions of trees every year which soaks up the CO2''s we will continue to see an increase of pollution.. but CO2''s cause trees to grow..so if governments are for real about global warming then why are they not planting trillions of trees all over the planet, on the edge of deserts, in valleys which we cant use etc, if Israel can do it so can we..
The reason that governments don''t do it is because they really don''t believe in global warming, it is just something to keep the people full of terror so as they can control us better, every year it has been something, bird flu, mad cow disease, an ice age is coming and then global warming then running our of oil etc..

[sparkbox]

Why do you folks debate the causes of inclement winter
weather? You cannot change anything! Only thirty percent of America''s registered voters actually vote.
You want to see change? Try to motivate those whose apathy keeps them from voting into making a real change where our govrenment is fearful of the populace and not the other way around.
By the way..I''m iced in in Oklahoma surviving off my carbon producing generator.

[gaye5]

look this all up for yourselves and see what other scientists say, the media only reports one side of the argument, the side that they want portrayed there could be an other side..
Are We on the Brink of a ''New Little Ice Age?''
By Terrence Joyce, Senior Scientist, Physical Oceanography and
Lloyd Keigwin, Senior Scientist, Geology & Geophysics.
When most of us think about Ice Ages, we imagine a slow transition into a colder climate on long time scales. Indeed, studies of the past million years indicate a repeatable cycle of Earth%u2019s climate going from warm periods (%u201Cinterglacial%u201D, as we are experiencing now) to glacial conditions.

The period of these shifts are related to changes in the tilt of Earth%u2019s rotational axis.
why should we care? In fact, won%u2019t the build-up of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gasses possibly ameliorate future changes?

Indeed, some groups advocate the benefits of global warming, including the Greening Earth Society and the Subtropical Russia Movement. Some in the latter group even advocate active intervention to accelerate the process, seeing this as an opportunity to turn much of cold, austere northern Russia into a subtropical paradise. CO2''s do cause trees to flourish which helps to keep the earth at good temperatures..

[gaye5]

Part of an article from CO2 SCIENCE..
we routinely review scientific journal articles that reveal the worldwide existence of the even warmer Medieval Warm Period of a thousand years ago, as well as the subsequent global impact of the Little Ice Age, demonstrating thereby that there is nothing unusual or "CO2-induced" about what we could call the Modern Warm Period, it being but the most recent manifestation of the pervasive warm node of a millennial-scale oscillation of climate that reverberates throughout glacial and interglacial periods alike [see Climate Oscillations (Millennial Variability) in our Subject Index].

[gaye5]

MichelleM99, you are so right and that little ice age lasted some say about 1200 years..
The Little Ice Age brought bitterly cold winters to many parts of the world, but is most thoroughly documented in Europe and North America. In the mid-17th century, glaciers in the Swiss Alps advanced, gradually engulfing farms and crushing entire villages.
The Viking colonies in Greenland died out (in the 15th century) because they could NO LONGER grow enough food there. Crop practices throughout Europe had to be altered to adapt to the shortened, less reliable growing season. Scientists have identified two causes of the Little Ice Age from outside the ocean/atmosphere/land systems: decreased solar activity (called the Maunder Minimum), and increased volcanic activity, and today we have a massive increase of solar activity..perhaps this is why the polar caps are melting on Pluto and Mars...
IF CO2''s were the only reason for global warming, and IF governments were really concerned, then why are they not planting millions of trees though out the world which absorb CO2''S..??? or is this in fact just a money making venture for some lucky business..

[grammawhamma]

The sky is falling...the sky is falling!! No dear...those are snow flakes falling out of the sky!

Seriously people...just treat all of nature kindly. Mankind is the only species that meddles with nature''s balance all in the name of science and technology.

[arohanui-2009]

Why would anyone want to live in Oklahoma?

[michellem99-2009]

Gaye5.Yer talking about the little ice age. Heard something about that on the history channel. I had a watered down version of American history. I was a sp ed pupil, True it is hotter today. Why last summer we be waiting to cross the street,we could feel the heat from the pavement. The heat index. Yer got pavement that is in use 24/7 and the temps are from 70s to 100s. Yer in summer. Where the heat go up. Cars don''t help as there are too many running the roads,

[jetranger7]

Guys I just have to be the 1st to do this : ITS ALL BUSH / CHENEYS FAULT !! SOMEHOW, ITS JUST GOT TO BE BUSHS FAULT !

[gaye5]

As the warmer climate brought the Vikings in increasing numbers to Greenland and Iceland, the cooler climate was equal to the task of decreasing those numbers. By the time Columbus set sail in 1492, Greenland was "dead" and Iceland was struggling to survive its failing crops, starvation, and a collapsing fishing industry.
But of course the Professor who wrote this might have been to stupid to read the records correctly and could be wrong..
Scott A. Mandia
Professor - Physical Sciences
T-206 Smithtown Sciences Bldg.
S.C.C.C.

[ubrew12]

Gaye5 said: "earth is not stagnant, it goes through cycles."
The cycles you speak of have periods of tens of thousands of years. Global Warming is a one-off event promising massive climate change in less than 100 years. Its like it was midnight and suddenly the sun rose in 5 minutes, and you come along and say, "well, we know the sun rises once every 24 hours anyway, so this must be that!"

Not the same thing at all!

[gaye5]

The Vikings in Iceland did not escape the negative impact of a rapidly cooling climate either. Although not completely wiped out like the Green landers, Icelandic Vikings were hit hard by the climate change.
the population of Iceland fell from about 77,500, as indicated by tax records in 1095, to around 72,000 in 1311. By 1703 it was down to 50,000, and after some severe years of ice in the 1780''s it was only 38,000.
attributes much of the decline in population to the colder climate and increased ice flow. The harvest years were so cold that there was little hay to feed the livestock so thousands of sheep died. During the MWP, Icelanders grew grain over much of the island but by the early 1200''s only barley, a short-season grain, was being grown. Lamb (1995) notes that there was also an increase in glacier growth and subsequent flooding from bursts due to volcanic activity under the ice. By the 1500''s conditions were so bad that all attempts at grain growing were abandoned and Icelanders turned solely to the sea for their survival. The shellfish near the shores were destroyed by increasing amounts of ice so cod fishing became the Icelanders main source of food and trade. As the cooler waters moved southward, the cod were forced farther southward until they were too far offshore for the primitive Icelandic ships to reach.
And are they not saying that the cooler waters are moving southwards again,, and being replace by hotter waters..

[gaye5]

pakaal there are also other reasons why we have been having hotter weather, not just humans, and the exact same scientists who say we are heating up also said only a few years ago that we were going into an ice age...they can''t seem to make up their minds.

pakaal if we don''t address ALL reasons as to why the earth has gone through a heating stage, then we are really doomed when it is to late to do anything about it..
Didn''t you learn in your history at school that the Vikings used to be able to grow crops in Iceland until it froze over and that until up until recently it has been a frozen waste land, now over the past few years they have been able to grow some crops.. so what does that say, it says that there was a time when the earth was hotter than now and only as far back as the viking days.. and by the way pakaal if you read more science magazines you will see that the ice caps on Mars and Pluto are also melting..
there is definitely global warming, but is it just another stage of the earths cycle, or is it outside forces or both, and one would have to wonder why there is magnetic changes in the earth, is the earth turning slightly on its axis, as some say that it does sometimes, I have read that there is areas where ice is growing not melting... and yes something has to be done about the pollution, but at the same time we must realize that the earth is not stagnant, it goes through cycles.

[ubrew12]

LloydBest1 said: " ''proxies'' such as the above can, in the long run, tell us a lot more. They tell me I should break out the sunglasses and swim trunks."

Global warming isn''t really about warming. It''s about HEATING. There are two ways something can heat: it can warm, and it can change phase. The ocean-atmosphere system is doing both, in response to heating, but of the two, its actually the phase-change response we care about (who cares if temps increase 4C over 100 years anyway). Phase-change manifests itself in sea-level rise, and more-frequent and bigger storms (as well as, ironically, a shift in storm patterns such that ordinarily dry regions become desertified).

So, while a cold-front is not indicative of Global Warming, an ICE-STORM is. Greater precipitation (along normal storm track lanes) is to be expected.

The effects of Global Warming are many and difficult to chart, but I''ve always said: if you like the weather you''ve been having- kiss it goodbye.

[hawksprings]

Well, Lloyd,
All your little points do is state the obvious: The climate changes.
So what.
It''s changed before, it will change again, and we can''t do anything to change it, start it, or stop it.
All we can do is adapt.
Go ahead and buy your swim trunks. But don''t throw away your parka, cuz someday you''ll need it again.

[lloydbest1]

Somehow this story concerning a large but not record setting ice storm got turned into a debate over the reality of "Gore-bal" warming.
O.K. I''ll bite.
One ice storm, or one cold wave or one chilly season does not justify the denial of climate change. Likewise, neither the summer of 2006 baking the desert southwest nor the once in-a-century record setting November warmth in Arizona''s Salt river Valley necessarily confirms we are catastrophically warming up.
Temperature and rainfall records are fine as far as they go but we need to observe what''s happening long term on the earth itself:
1. Sea level changes are directly tied to how much land based permanent ice we have.
2. Changes in the distribution of temperature (or rainfall) sensitive plants.
3. Check out the first flowering or first leafing of shrubs and trees. Compare the result with, say, 50 years ago.
4. For those who farm for a living, has your growing season changed? Which way?
5. When and how birds start their migrations; or even if they bother any longer, can tell us a lot about what they "think" the climate is doing.
6. What do indigenous populations who depend on a stable climate to practise their traditional lifestyles have to say about it.
These and many other markers I don''t have room for aren''t as rigorous as a thermometer but "proxies" such as the above can, in the long run, tell us a lot more. They tell me I should break out the sunglasses and swim trunks.

[sgtrds]

SgtRDS: Was that one the one in NY? We had a real beauty back then to.

Posted by lewiston14 at 04:42 PM : Dec 10, 2007

Don''t know if it hit that far North when we got because we were without news for several days. I was managing a hotel and we didn''t have power for 13 days. Had about 40 guests on the property for the first few days until the truck stop set up a generator and starting pumping fuel again. Lucky for me I had a gas fireplace in the lobby so we all just camped out there.

[pakaal]

By the way mitchoncbs, there''s been a consensus that we humans have been impacting the world''s climate long before your "Christmas ''86", you just weren''t paying attention. It''s probably best you just stick your head back in the sand and let those who actually have been paying attention to this problem deal with it.

[pakaal]

Hey, does anyone know where to officially register as either "understands/acknowledges global warming" or "doesn''t understand/acknowledge global warming"?

I''m hoping someone will start something like this, so when things get even more screwed up, we''ll know who to hold accountable for dragging us all down when we could all have been working towards solutions. Maybe have them pay double or triple taxes or mandatory public work or something?

They should probably consider the same for Australia - after all, they''re number one planetwide in carbon emissions....

http://www.aussmc.org/US_Report-Australia_top_emitter.php

[michellem99-2009]

That is right. Also if yer heating with porpane fuel crack yer window as yer need the air. Inch will do. Also close off the rooms yer don''t need for living. Have blankets to cover up when sitting as that helps. Gramma and elders in doors wear a hat as that will keep yer head warm as heat leaves the head plus layed clothing. I know it gets cold. It is odd weather to be sure. I grew up in Maine and got really cold years ago and I was a kid. Take care.