WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A winter storm sweeping across the country Thursday from the Texas Panhandle to the upper reaches of Maine turned streets in major Kansas and Missouri cities into ice-slicked rinks before dawn.
The storm began overnight with sleet and freezing rain and fog along a swath from southern Kansas through the middle of Missouri. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Thursday for those areas, forecasting blizzard-like conditions with heavy snow and strong winds.
The service warned that Wichita could see between 7 and 9 inches of snow, while Kansas City and surrounding communities could get 4 to 8 inches. Cities west and north of St. Louis, including Jefferson City and Columbia, could get up to 8 inches of snow, while Hannibal, Missouri, was expected to see up to 9 inches.
In St. Louis, where up to 3 inches of snow was forecast, the weather service also issued a flood advisory as heavy rains overnight threatened to swamp low-lying areas.
Many schools, courts and other governments services, as well as sporting events, throughout the warning area shut down Thursday in anticipation of the storm.
Wintry misery returns
Snow and ice have returned with a vengeance across the Midwest, closing schools and businesses beneath a sheet of ice and snow.
