Storm brings strong winds, frigid cold to nation

PIERRE, S.D. – A brutal winter storm knocked out power in California, closed interstate highways from Arizona to Wyoming and prompted nearly 1,500 flight cancellations Wednesday – and the worst won’t be over for several days.

Few places were untouched by the wild weather, some at the opposite extreme.

Record highs were set from the midAtlantic states down through Florida, with some places expected to reach up to 40 degrees above normal.

The wintry mix was hitting hard in the northern tier of the nation, closing schools, offices, even shutting down the Minnesota Legislature. Travel was difficult. Weather contributed to nearly 1,500 U.S. flight cancellations, according to the tracking service FlightAware. More than 400 of those were due to arrive or depart from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Another 3,800-plus were delayed across the country.

The roads were just as bad. “A major winter storm and multi-day closures are likely on Interstates and secondary roads throughout Wyoming!” the state Transportation Department said on Facebook.

In the Pacific Northwest, high winds and heavy snow in the Cascade Mountains prevented search teams from reaching the bodies of three climbers killed in an avalanche on Washington’s Colchuck Peak over the weekend.

Two experts from the Northwest Avalanche Center were hiking to the scene Wednesday to determine if conditions might permit a recovery attempt later this week.

Powerful winds were the biggest problem in California, toppling trees and power lines. By Wednesday afternoon, more than 88,000 customers in the state were without electricity, according to Power Outage.us.

A more than 200-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from central Arizona to the New Mexico line closed due to snow, rain and wind gusts of up to 80 mph. Thousands were without power in Arizona.

In the northern U.S. – a region accustomed to heavy snow – the snowfall could be historic.