Storm dumps snow and rain in Northeast

CHICAGO, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- Officials in multiple states urged residents to stay put Wednesday as the U.S. midsection dug out and the Northeast was in the vortex of a mammoth storm.

The storm has been blamed for three deaths, one each in Oklahoma, Michigan and Illinois.

The storm impacted more than 100 million people from the southern Plains to the Northeast, turning highways into ice rinks, grounding thousands of flights, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power, and forcing the cancellation of innumerable school and community events.

Wisconsin officials declared a civil emergency and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett declared a "weather holiday," urging people not to travel for business Wednesday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported.

"Today is essentially a weather holiday," Barrett said.

It's also a civil emergency, state officials said. Law enforcement officials reported snow drifts of up to 10 feet in parts of southeast Wisconsin. Portions of interstate highways crisscrossing the state were closed.

Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Fran McLaughlin urged people to stay home.

"You can't get anywhere without putting yourself at risk or an emergency responder at risk," she said.

President Obama was updated Wednesday about the storm's path and impact, including power and transportation disruptions, the White House said in a statement.

At the request of the respective states, Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel were sent to Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, the statement said.

In Chicago, stranded motorists and bus riders had to be rescued after being stuck for hours along busy Lake Shore Drive at the height of the blizzard Tuesday. City officials told reporters Wednesday 700 to 900 vehicles were trapped as the lakeside limited-access boulevard was shut down by blowing and drifting snow, ice and whiteout conditions following a series of accidents. At least one person was swept into the lake but it was unclear whether he was among the stranded motorists. Some 84 tow trucks worked Wednesday to clear the highway.

Snow fell at 2 to 3 inches an hour at times during the storm with 55 to 70 mph wind gusts. By midmorning Wednesday, some 19.5 inches of snow had fallen at O'Hare International Airport, the third highest snowfall for the area since the National Weather Service began keeping statistics. The only heavier snowfalls were in 1967 and 1999.

Airlines canceled some 2,000 flights Wednesday into and out of Chicago.

"Please, tell everyone to stay home today," Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Kevin Parker told the Arlington Heights Daily Herald. "Cars are in ditches, snow plows are stuck, police and fire trucks are stuck. Today is not a day to be out."

A portion of a structural panel above the Wrigley Field press box "broke away" during the storm, scattering debris outside of the ball park, officials said.

Amtrak advised passengers wanting to travel Wednesday in the Midwest to check street and highway conditions and specific train status before trying to reach train stations on routes in the nation's midsection.

In Massachusetts, precipitation and fluctuating temperatures created conditions that prompted officials to warn about potential roof collapses, The Boston Globe reported.

Weather forecasters said Boston and coastal areas could get up to an inch of rain on top of snow, then experience more solid forms of precipitation as temperatures drop.

Commuter transit services were canceled or severely curtailed, officials said.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick ordered non-emergency state personnel to stay home, as did Boston Mayor Menino.

Police in several communities reported evacuating areas after buildings partially collapsed, the Hartford Courant reported. Buildings have collapsed in throughout the state as ice weighed down roofs already stressed by weeks of snow storms, officials said.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas ordered rotating outages in northern Texas Wednesday to try to maintain the integrity of the state's power grid during the cold weather, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.

In Oklahoma, officials said the blizzard, which caused isolated power outages, damaged a casino roof, and closed roads, airports, businesses and schools, The Oklahoman reported.

The Tulsa World reported it would not print its Wednesday edition, The Oklahoman reported. Part of the roof at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino near Tulsa collapsed under the weight of accumulating snow, causing a gas leak but no injuries, officials said.

AccuWeather.com said another winter storm could bring an icy mix to East Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley Thursday, and snow could visit the Northeast on Saturday.