Snowstorms Sock U.S., Snarling Travel

Hundreds Of Flights Canceled In Northeast, Midwest; Northwest Warned Of "Major" Blizzard

(CBS/AP)  Snowstorms blanketed much of the Midwest and Northeast, stranding thousands at airports around the country.

While the worst may be over, the first major snowstorm of the season grounded more than 650 flights at New York City's airports, and more than 200 at Chicago's O'Hare, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

Across much of the Midwest, they're digging out.

Kyle White told CBS, "After living in Chicago for over 30 years, I'm just used to it. It's part of living in the city."

But it's not just the Windy City taking the blow.

A foot or more of snow fell in parts of Michigan, and some areas reported wind gusts of up to 25 to 30 mph. Nearly 8 inches of snow had fallen in Detroit by mid-afternoon, making a headache out of the evening commute.

"It's just completely terrible out there," one driver said. "In some places it was like a whiteout."

In Seattle, Washington, two charter buses carrying 75 people crashed on an icy street, pushing one through a guardrail and leaving another dangling above Interstate 5.

Seattle Fire Department spokeswoman Helen Fitzpatrick said 11 young adults were taken to Harborview Medical Center with minor injuries.

Parts of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio were hit by an ice storm that cut power to more than 270,000 customers, forcing many schools to close.

In New England, fearing afternoon traffic jams, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick asked nonessential state employees Friday morning to stay home.

Grounded flights triggered a chain reaction reaching all the way to the East Coast. Travelers heading home for the holidays prepped for the worst.

"There were 7 flights cancelled before mine," one traveler told CBS Station WCBS. "I'm expecting at least 3 to 4 hour delays. So I'm prepared to camp out."

That was the kind of holiday spirit Mayor Michael Bloomberg was asking of New Yorkers: tough it out, and keep shopping.

"Bundle up, and take a bus or subway instead of your car," he advised.


Washington State: The Calm Between The Storms

Winter weather eased a bit throughout Washington state on Friday, a brief respite until a predicted weekend storm that could bring a blizzard with "wicked and dangerous" conditions to parts of the state.

Light snow continued to fall in Spokane on Friday, where residents were still digging out from a record storm that dropped 2 feet of snow on the city Wednesday and Thursday.

The region's weather was expected to turn dramatically worse over the weekend.

The National Weather Service posted a blizzard warning for the Olympics and the west slopes of the northern and central Cascades for Saturday afternoon, and a winter storm warning for much of the west side of the state. The Cascade foothills east of Seattle are due for sustained winds of 50 to 70 mph, with peak gusts of up to 90 mph, the service said.

Seattle and other central Puget Sound cities could receive 8 inches of snow, with up to 1½ feet in parts of southwest Washington.

"This is the calm between storms," Andy Haner, a weather service meteorologist in Seattle, said Friday. "It's going to be wicked and dangerous in the Cascade foothills, especially North Bend, Maple Valley, Black Diamond and Enunclaw."

"It's going to be major," Haner said. "It will be blowing down trees, knocking out people's power, causing major disruptions."

For Spokane, it's "Snow, snow, more snow, snow," said John Livingston of the weather service. An additional 4 to 6 inches of snow was predicted this weekend, along with frigid temperatures, with another snowstorm possible for Christmas Eve.

Spokane temperatures were in the single digits Friday, while temperatures were below freezing throughout the state.

Flights were arriving and departing from Spokane International Airport on Friday, although travelers often were experiencing lengthy delays. Airlines are working to book stranded passengers on flights that were already full of holiday travelers.

Spokesman Todd Woodard said about 75 people spent Thursday night in the airport, after many flights were canceled.

A total of 23.6 inches of snow fell on Spokane in the 36 hours that ended Thursday afternoon, overwhelming the ability of city crews to clear roads.

Downtown, city crews moved snow into the center of streets, creating impassable berms that motorists were urged to avoid.

"They will get stuck," the city warned in a press release.


Midwest Digs Out

In the relative warmth of 15-20 degrees Friday morning, northeast Nebraska was digging out from nearly a foot of snow and facing the prospect of another Arctic blast.

"There's not much going on here, but we're open," said Ruthann Bonneau, manager of Cowabunga Korner restaurant in Walthill. "We have lots of snow ... it's pretty high here."

About 15 miles south of Walthill, in Lyons, Brian Depew said the estimated 6-8 inches was "very pretty snow, actually."

"It fell all night," Depew said from his office at the Center for Rural Affairs. "There was ice before that - that made it a little slick."

He said the city's snowplows had most of the streets cleared by late Friday morning.

Already on the ground are 11 inches that fell over the last 24 hours in Walthill and the 10 inches in Wayne and Norfolk. Other northeast Nebraska reports ranged from 8 down to 5 inches of snow.

Slick or otherwise impassable streets and stranded vehicles forced most eastern Nebraska schools to close Friday or to open late. In Lincoln, police responded to 26 weather-related crashes by late Friday afternoon. Some flights in and out of Omaha were delayed or canceled.

More snow was on the way over the weekend, as holiday journeys begin in earnest.

National Weather Service meteorologist Barbara Mayes said the forecast of 1 or 2 more inches of snow on Saturday promises that travel will be perilous, especially in northeast Nebraska.

"We have a lot of new snow up there, and we're going to combine that with winds of 30 mph or more," said Mayes, who works in the Weather Service's Valley office.

Meteorologists in her office were expecting temperatures in the low to mid-teens below zero by late Sunday, with some spots approaching minus 20.

[andylance1]

Global Cooling Has Arrived. Far more people have frozen to death than ever died from global warming.

It is undeniable we need to conserve natural ecosystems and plant more trees. We need to conserve energy wisely. People will remember how terrible the winter of ''08 was and remember how gullible they were to believe in global warming.

[barbaram99]

i went to Bangor in 97 and was shocked there was no snow there as it use to snow there . I lived in down east Maine growing up there, iAs pretty as snow is it is a blind person''s nightmare as we have to listen to the tsps of our cane. I love Maine. I know people there.

[barbaram99]

i lived in Portland Maine and the last time that area had snow was in 82/83 as I lived there and used walk place there .Ever heard of the Maine Center f/t Blind? It was on Park Ave years ago. Yep I know that area well. Seattle got hit with gnow. It don''t as a rule snow here.

[downsteamjim]

HETUP: Be thankful Bush isn''t going turkey hunting.

[troutfisher4]

HETUP

Sadly, you do not understand the difference between weather and climate.

[hetup-2009]

They haven''t had snow in Maine for years. All the video and pictures are taken in Colorado. Right now there is green grass growing in Portland, Maine. The students on holiday from the U of M Black Bears have traveled to Baxter State park to sun on the beach. Bush plans to spend Christmas in Kennebunkport and is going mackeral fishing. If the news media really told you idiots the truth about global warming it would create a riot.

[barbaram99]

Yep Seattle will have a white Christmas and my parents will have a white Chrismas since the late 80s.
America once had lovely blus skies. It don''t today. Humans are the reason. Years ago there was fewer cars on the roads.
The main thing is the weather changes. I have been in droughts. Most are seeing snow for the first time here and it shows in their voices. It brings back memories of winters years ago we had in Maine. I turnt on the TV to follow it and can follow it in Maine on the net. My parents are in their 70s. They don''t have a computer.

[downsteamjim]

As ZykraCosmos mentions, according to Global Warming fans any data fits their model. In Sports this would be like saying that when the Saints lose they actually become more likely to win the Super Bowl.

[zykracosmos]

"...I was born in Maine and grew up there. The snow piled up and sure we had to shovel it. My parents still live in Maine. It don''''t snow where it used to. THAT IS ODD. I live in Seattle now and so the winters are different.I miss the the Christmas..."

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Posted by BarbaraM99 at 10:16 AM : Dec 21, 2008
+ report abuse
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Barbara, it looks like you have got your snowfall right there in Seattle now. Don''t have to go to Maine for a real Christmas this year.

[zykracosmos]

If this Global Warming don''''t stop, we''''re all going to freeze to death!
Save Us Algore!!!


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Posted by HawkSprings at 10:47 AM : Dec 21, 2008
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Ironically, HawkSprings... this may very well be attributed to global warming, as the heat absorbed by the oceans energizes the atmosphere to create weather extremes, inluding more ferocious blizzards in the winter. The more you understand about climate change, as the disinformation campaign of the oil companies and rightwingers starts to diminish, the less you will wish it upon yourself. Weather extremes will be the norm, not the exception, including blizzards, prolonged droughts and more intense hurricanes. The earth is 3/4 water, and most of the CO2 and heat is absorbed by the oceans, which then become more acidic and transfer the energy absorbed kinetically, which translates to faster wind currents in the upper atmosphere and rapidly intensifying weather systems. Expect record cold as well as record heat, along with extreme ranges in precipitation. Once you''re on board with us, let us know and we''ll tell you what you can do to try and help the situation.