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Winter Storm Makes Roads Hazardous in Midwest, Plains

Trucks were banned from some snow- and ice-covered highways today in the Texas Panhandle as a winter storm swept across the central United States

by Staff
January 29, 2001
2 min to read


Trucks were banned from some snow- and ice-covered highways today in the Texas Panhandle as a winter storm swept across the central United States.

The storm left a hazardous layer of snow and ice on highways in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin, according to the Associated Press. Tractor-trailers jackknifed around Norfolk, Neb., in a slippery combination of snow and freezing rain.
Just walking into work from the parking lot was a challenge, said Barb Eliker of Sapp Brothers Truck stop on Interstate 80 south of Omaha.
"I can look out on the interstate and see people traveling maybe 40 miles an
hour," she told the AP.
The same storm had piled heavy snow in the Colorado Rockies during the
weekend, with 43 inches in 48 hours at Wolf Creek Pass. U.S. 6 over Loveland
Pass was closed Monday morning because of ice and drifting snow. More than 9 inches of snow fell during the weekend at Amarillo, Texas, with 12 inches at Dalhart. Freezing rain created a thick coating of ice in the Texas Panhandle area
throughout Saturday and Sunday morning.
Weather.com forecasters predict snow in the Upper Midwest tonight and tomorrow, replacing the freezing rain and sleet causing so many problems today. In the Plains states, snowfall may linger through much of tomorrow, with heavy snow expected in eastern South Dakota.
A light mix of sleet, freezing rain and rain is expected across Pennsylvania and New York overnight, leading to some icy roads, especially in some of the deeper valleys. However, most of New England will experience warming as the day goes on, so problems should be short-lived.
Snow showers are predicted for much of the Rockies and Wasatch tomorrow.

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