Kansas, Okla. dig out from blizzards

PRATT, Kan., March 29 (UPI) -- Residents of Kansas and Oklahoma were digging out from blizzards Sunday as local utilities struggled to restore electricity, officials said.

Saturday's snows left drifts up to 6 feet high in Kansas's Pratt County while at least nine other counties reported at least 2 feet of snow and 17,000 state residents were left without power, state officials told CNN.

In neighboring Oklahoma where more than a foot of snow fell, Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency in 50 counties, while transportation officials said some roads remained blocked Sunday.

Heavy rains, meanwhile, pelted Mobile, Ala., and Biloxi, Miss., while further north, heavy winds blew out windows and the roof of a shopping center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., CNN said.

Freezing rain and snow turned Chicago roads into a slick mess, the Chicago Tribune reported.

More rough weather was predicted for Sunday, with a cold front sweeping toward the Eastern Seaboard igniting strong thunderstorms from coastal North Carolina through southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

A late winter blizzard bringing heavy, wind-whipped snow to the Rocky Mountain states will move into the northern Plains Monday, Accuweather.com predicted, creating significant snowfalls and strong winds from Wyoming to Minnesota.