Storms march across the United States

SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Southern California highways closed by snow and ice reopened Thursday as much of the United States braced for more winter weather.

The storm that dumped almost 2 feet of snow in the high desert near Los Angeles and in the Cascade Range in Washington were the first of a string expected to move from west to east across the country, AccuWeather.com reported. Forecasters predicted snow and rain in the Midwest and Northeast with a layer of ice in between.

In the Los Angeles area, the Grapevine, a high pass on Interstate 5 that links the city with the Central Valley and San Francisco, was closed Wednesday because of snow and ice. The highway and some others closed by the storm reopened around noon Thursday, KGET-TV reported.

Sections of I-5 were also closed in Oregon and Washington.

Forecasters said ground and air travel disruptions should be expected Friday from a storm sucking up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Between 6 and 12 inches of snow are expected from southern Wisconsin to southern New England. Cities in the storms' track included Chicago, Detroit, Buffalo and Boston.

In Chicago, officials at O'Hare and Midway airports prepared for a snow-ice-hail mixture, USA Today reported. Chicago Department of Aviation spokeswoman Karen Pride said the worst of the weather was expected mid-afternoon Thursday into Friday morning.

Las Vegas picked up 3.6 inches of snow Wednesday, the greatest ever on a December day, grounding air travel and closing schools, the Las Vegas Journal-Review reported.

Heavy snow and icy roads prompted Arizona officials to temporarily close U.S. Route 93 between Kingman, Ariz., and Las Vegas.