Sharp Cold Wave Shocks Midwest, Heads East

Temperatures Plummet Below Zero In Many Areas; At Least One Death Blamed On The Cold

(CBS/ AP)  Temperatures crashed to Arctic levels Tuesday as a severe cold wave rolled across the upper Midwest on the heels of yet another snowstorm, closing schools and making most people think twice before going outside.

Thermometers read single digits early in the day as far south as Kansas and Missouri, where some areas warmed only into the teens by midday.

The ice and snow that glazed pavement was blamed for numerous traffic accidents from Minnesota to Indiana, where police said a truck overturned and spilled 43,000 pounds of cheese, closing a busy highway ramp during the night in the Gary area.

The bitter cold snap was responsible for at least one death Tuesday.

A 51-year-old man in northern Wisconsin died from exposure after wandering from his Hayward home early Tuesday, authorities said. His son reported him missing and said he was prone to sleepwalking, and deputies followed footprints in the snow to find the man about 190 yards from his house, Sawyer County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said.

The below-zero wind chills are covering the Midwest - from minus 10 below in Des Moines, Iowa to 50 below in Grand Forks, N.D., reports CBS' Early Show weather anchor Dave Price. That means busy days for car repairmen and those fixing furnaces; inside one house in a suburb of St. Paul, it was 44 degrees last night.

Still, some Minnesotans took it as just another winter day, even in the state's extreme northwest corner where thermometers bottomed out at 38 degrees below zero at the town of Hallock and the National Weather Service said the wind chill was a shocking 58 below.

"It's really not so bad," Robert Cameron, 75, said as he and several friends gathered for morning coffee at the Cenex service station in Hallock. "We've got clothing that goes with the weather. ... We're ready and rolling, no matter what."

"It's so beautiful. There's not a cloud in the sky," said Keith Anderson, 66. But he said that's not stopping him from skipping town at the end of the week to spend a couple of months in Nevada and Arizona.

Outside, one of the station's gas pumps froze up at least once, and assistant manager Terrie Franks had to go out to apply deicer spray.

"You definitely have to have gloves on because touching the cold metal - your hands are frozen," Franks said by telephone.

The weather service warned that exposed flesh can freeze in 10 minutes when the wind chill is 40 degrees below zero or colder.

At about 8 a.m., temperatures were minus 40 in International Falls and minus 35 in Roseau. Farther south, Minneapolis hit 18 below zero with a wind chill of 32 below and black ice was blamed for numerous accidents.

In neighboring North Dakota, Grand Forks dropped to a record low of 37 below zero Tuesday morning, lopping six degrees off the old record set in 1979, the National Weather Service said.

Schools were closed because of the cold as far south as Iowa, and authorities in Grand Rapids, Mich., went out urging the homeless to seek shelter.

The leading edge of the cold air was expected to strike the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and South late Tuesday and Wednesday. And meteorologists warned that a second wave could drop temperatures into the single digits Thursday and Friday in the mid-Atlantic region.

The storm that blew through the upper Midwest on Monday dropped 6 inches of snow on Minot, N.D., on top of about a foot that fell late last week, and Bismarck collected 4 inches. Bismarck, Fargo and Grand Forks all broke snow records for December, each with more than 30 inches. They were outdone by Madison, Wis., which accumulated a record 40 inches for the month, the weather service said Tuesday.

Road departments have had little time to clear away the snow between storms.

"Four-wheel drives are useless - people are just snowed in," said Rhonda Woodhams, office manager for Williams County, N.D. "People are calling in saying they're out of milk and diapers for their kids, or they have doctor appointments they need to get to. We're doing our best. And we don't need no more snow."

"It's like a sea of whiteness; people can't see the road," said Rebecca Arndt, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Transportation in Mankato. "When the white fluffy stuff starts to blow, it is not pretty."

What was left of that snowstorm was blowing eastward along the Great Lakes, and the weather service posted winter storm warnings Tuesday for parts of Michigan, northern Indiana and Ohio's northwest corner. Up to 11 inches of new snow was possible in Detroit.

Winter weather advisories were in effect from North Dakota to Ohio and northeast into northern New England.

[andylance1]

I want to know what Obama, Hillary, Harry and Nancy are going to do about global cooling. I think they must still be sharing Algore''s delusions since he invented the internet.

[beewitchy1]

brrrrrr!love this indiana weather.let it snow and be cold.we live here.it happens evey year.stuck inside,at home,because we work outside,drinking hot chocolate and eating toast.hmmmmmm....sounds like a vacation to me.bundle up everyone.stay safe.

[ubrew12]

wtlib said: "Hey Liberals !!! What about "Global Warming" ? "

And, like clockwork, every evening at 7pm: "Hey Liberals!! What happened to the Sun?"

[kansas1946]

You remind me of a scientist trying to explain why Einstein himself believed in GOD when science seemed to prove he doesn''''t exist, because you don''''t know what Einstein knew about GOD.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by ToolMangler at 10:28 PM : Jan 13, 2009
+ report abuse
**************************

Science could never prove that something "doesn''t exist." Why would you want to prove a negative. That is like saying "I am going to prove that Santa Clause doesn''t exist." That is ridiculous. When on the other hand you take a position that Santa Claus does exist, it is your responsibility to prove that he exists if you want others to believe you.

[kansas1946]

Hey Liberals !!!
What about "Global Warming" ?

Posted by wtlib at 07:55 PM : Jan 13, 2009
***********************

Well in the first place, what does climate have to do with "liberal." And second, I think you should get your science education from someone besides Rush.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by actiscenei at 09:11 PM : Jan 13, 2009




You remind me of a scientist trying to explain why Einstein himself believed in GOD when science seemed to prove he doesn''t exist, because you don''t know what Einstein knew about GOD.

[actiscenei]

Hey Liberals !!!
What about "Global Warming" ?

Posted by wtlib at 07:55 PM : Jan 13, 2009

You remind me of my slower students who don''t listen to what they''re taught, and try to come to their own conclusions which fly in the face of the facts that were just presented to them.

If you think a cold spell means no global warming despite that thousands and thousands of scientists who can prove otherwise, you must also believe because the stick market went up significantly a few weeks ago, that the economy is "sound."

Go back to school.

[tincup356]

speculators ought to shoot the price of heating oil up.....they always do when a cold front hits.....more greed.

[lili5044]

BOOOOO it''s cold here in Iowa...

[louiville2]

I hope that on Jan. 20th, DC gets hit with a record blizzard. I would love nothing more than to watch the Inauguration of the Dear Leader with Algore in the stands freezing his internet off.

Posted by HawkSprings at 05:39 PM

Yeah we were discussing it today, Funny. stinginrich wouldn''t know he thinks 60 is cold.

[stinginrich]

I hope that on Jan. 20th, DC gets hit with a record blizzard. I would love nothing more than to watch the Inaguration of the Dear Leader with Algore in the stands freezing his internet off.

Posted by HawkSprings at 05:39 PM : Jan 13, 2009

Algore will say that the freezing weather is proof of global warming, and the sycophant news organizations will slather it up like puppies on momma''''s t*tty.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by b4ucmyI at 07:05 PM : Jan 13, 2009
+ report abuse

Ha!!....Two Back-Woods Climatology Graduates from Jethro Bodine College of Science and Bible Study......

[stinginrich]

It''s down to 60 here in Florida.....we''re freezing....

[hawksprings]

I hope that on Jan. 20th, DC gets hit with a record blizzard. I would love nothing more than to watch the Inaguration of the Dear Leader with Algore in the stands freezing his internet off.

[deceler8]

Never an overturned truck full of crackers around when you need one.

[hawksprings]

If Algore is right and we humans are heating up the planet so much, where on Earth is all this cold air coming from?

[coppertales]

That is the difference between now and when I lived in the north country. Then, everyone knew a storm was coming and prepared for it. Now, folks are just clueless on how to survive anything without the government holding their hands.....

[pandamonium6]

Check out www.wcco.com This is the CBS affiliate in MN. On the main page they have a video of a reporter doing the weather conditions report from outside this morning (the temp in the TC was -20 degrees at the time). VERY FUNNY!!!!! You won''t regret your time!