It's Freezing!

The coldest season has taken hold of much of the country, with snow and ice in the Midwest and East and bone-chilling temperatures extending into the South.

Many Americans found themselves immobilized by heavy snowfalls, unable to go to work or school. CBS This Morning Meteorologist Craig Allen reports that temperatures will remain well below freezing Tuesday.

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Buffalo, N.Y, -- a city accustomed to severe winter weather -- was virtually shut down Tuesday. The area was walloped with 15 inches of snow and expected more.

Low on groceries, Rena Crocker pushed through bone-chilling wind and blowing snow to reach a friend's home in Buffalo. With her was her 7-year-old son, Julian, so wrapped up that only his eyes and snow-covered lashes were visible. "This is outrageous. This is just crazy!" said Crocker as she trudged along. "I'm used to Buffalo winters, but this...."

It was the latest blow from the arctic blast that began over the weekend and left much of the Midwest and New England under up to 2 feet of snow. It has also plunged the eastern two-thirds of the nation into a deep freeze. Many states struggled to clear roads Monday as the work week began.

It was in the teens across much of the South early Tuesday. Even New Orleans dropped to 30 degrees, and school was canceled as far south as Oklahoma. It was much worse to the north, where the wind chill on the northern Plains dipped to 60 degrees below zero.

Airports around the nation were still having trouble accommodating passengers, even in areas where the storm is long gone.

Stranded travelers at Detroit Metropolitan Airport were no closer to getting home than they were a few days ago. On Tuesday morning, Northwest Airlines canceled more than 150 flights because it couldn't get crews in. A foot of snow was on the ground in Detroit.

A Northwest spokesman in Minneapolis said the airline has canceled more than 1,100 flights since Saturday.

The heavy snow caused an 8-foot tear in the roof of the Pontiac Silverdome, home to pro football's Detroit Lions in Pontiac, Mich.

In Indiana, where up to 22 inches fell across the state, drivers on icy roads at times faced snow banks higher than their cars, left behind by plows. Legislative leaders postponed the beginning of their 1999 session from today until at least Wednesday because of the travel problems.

In Illinois, where nearly 22 inches of snow fell in some places, including Chicago, Gov. Jim Edgar declared the state a disaster area. In addition to alowing the state to coordinate state resources to aid local governments, the declaration allows eligible counties to seek federal help.

While the snow and cold crippled normal routines for some, others went about their typical day. Some even relished the icy weather.

"You just layer yourself real good," said Pat Dwyer of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, as he went ice fishing Monday on a creek at the mouth of Lake Erie. "I put on three or four pairs of underwear."

Thousands of children were among those enjoying the fringe benefits of the storm, as schools were closed for a second day Tuesday in some states. For some parents, it was an unwelcome extension of the holiday vacation.

"I'm a little stir crazy right now," said Carole Johnson, who was forced to use a vacation day from her job after schools were closed in Dayton, Ohio.

Lisa Rismiller watched her two sons, ages 7 and 10, build a snow fort in the front yard of the family's Vandalia, Ohio, home.

"As much as the kids like playing in the snow, I think they're ready to go back to school," she said. "They do get a little bored."

In Florida, agriculture officials are keeping a close eye on the sub-freezing temperatures. The cold snap could have a bright side -- as long as it doesn't last too long. It could end up making the citrus crop sweeter.

As CBS News Correspondent Bill Whitaker reports, some climate experts say La Nina, El Nino's opposite weather extreme in the Pacific is fueling this winter weather machine.

Current weather fits the pattern perfectly. "Much heavier than normal precipitation in the Pacific Northwest, below normal in Southern California and storms and upper level winds, major storms like we have now," says Meteorologist John Monteverdi.

While El Nino brought wild, wet weather to the Southern part of the country, La Nina shifts the action northward. The Seattle area had the wettest December on record. On the other hand, this winter Los Angeles is dry enough for brush fires.

If the experts are right, in a La Nina winter this kind of harsh weather could be par for the course.