Snow storm pounds central US

AFP/Dallas

A police officer removes snow from his car after a storm front moved through Dallas, Texas, yesterday

A massive winter storm dumped snow, ice and sleet across a huge swathe of the US yesterday, grounding thousands of flights, and bringing a wintry blast to 100mn people, or a third of the country.
Schools and government offices were closed as officials warned of potentially deadly conditions.
High winds and freezing rain turned roads into deadly ice rinks and knocked down trees and power lines. Forecasts warned of dangerously cold temperatures, blinding snow and massive drifts.
Blizzard, winter storm and freezing rain warnings were issued for more than half of the country’s 50 states, from North Dakota and Colorado down to New Mexico, then up through Texas, Kansas and Missouri to the Great Lakes region and across Pennsylvania to New England.
Tornados and major thunderstorms were also predicted along the southern end of the storm in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Snow had already piled up to as much as six to 12in (15 to 30cm) in parts of Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri by 9am (1500 GMT), the National Weather Service reported.
For Chicago, the weather service said the "dangerous, multifaceted and life-threatening winter storm” with high winds and heavy snowfall would make travel "impossible” at times.
It offered residents an ominous warning: "Do not travel!”
The agency also warned that shoveling sidewalks during such a significant snowfall can be deadly, noting that more than 40 people died of heart attacks in the aftermath of a 1999 blizzard in Chicago.
"Do not underestimate the task at hand,” it said.
The governor of Illinois declared a state of emergency and deployed 500 National Guard troops to help stranded motorists along the state’s highways.
A state of emergency was also declared in Oklahoma and Indiana.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urged residents to prepare in earnest for the fury of the storm.
More than 5,700 flights were cancelled by yesterday morning and airlines protectively cancelled another 2,700 flights today. Airlines warned of significant travel interruptions, offering customers a chance to rebook flights at no fee.
Dallas-Fort Worth airport, a major hub, was closed briefly yesterday morning due to the ice storm and delays were averaging about three hours once it reopened.
The worst of the storm was expected to strike yesterday afternoon and evening as a large amount of moisture sucked up from the Gulf of Mexico feeds the huge system and is transformed into snow and thunderstorms.
Powerful winds and heavy snow could create white-out conditions and drifts as high as 6-8ft (1.8 to 2.4m).
"Lurking behind this impressive winter storm is a powerful shot of Arctic air as a frigid surface high drops down from central Canada,” the National Weather Service warned.
Wind chills were forecast to drop to 30 to 50 below in Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Kansas, Idaho and even parts of Texas.
Officials warned the public to stay at home rather than try to brave the crippling and potentially record-breaking storm.
"A storm of this size and scope needs to be taken seriously,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, who warned that "it’s critical that the public does its part to get ready.”