Wintry weather creates misery all across northern part of U.S.

December 21, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Successive waves of wintry weather gripped much of the country Saturday, frustrating holiday travelers from coast to coast and keeping the lights off for thousands of people who lost power after ice storms just days ago.

Iowa public safety officials urged motorists not to travel as heavy snow began to fall in the morning. The state expected winds up to 35 mph and wind chills of minus 25 just two days after being slammed with sleet, ice and snow.

Washington state braced for hurricane-force winds as a storm blew in from the Pacific. The temperature dipped to minus 18 Saturday in Spokane, which expected up to 6 inches of snow on top of the 25 that fell over the past three days, said Johnny Burg, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

In the Northeast, the aftermath of snow that fell Friday continued to snarl air traffic. And residents who still lacked power after an ice storm last week grew frustrated as officials warned that the storm battering the Midwest would blow in today, the official first day of winter.

North Dakota’s snowfall total for December nearly matches the 19.3 inches that fell all last winter, said meteorologist Joshua Scheck at the National Weather Service office in Bismarck.

The cold was the major concern in Illinois, where the weather service canceled a storm watch in the north but warned that freezing temperatures could cause flooding from ice jams on rivers near the Quad Cities and Rockford.

More than 77,000 customers in northern Indiana still had no power Saturday after Thursday night’s ice storm, and Indiana Michigan Power said the power failures could last beyond Wednesday. The weather service warned that winds as high as 40 mph would “create havoc with trees and power lines” already covered or weakened by ice.

In New Hampshire, more than 20,000 homes and businesses awaited restoration of power after an ice storm last week but feared the worst as the next storm approached.

Today’s storm could bring more power failures to southern New Hampshire, which was expected to get 10 to 16 inches of snow, forecasters said.

Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of Washington as high winds, snow and freezing rain began coating the state Saturday.

Up to 10 inches of snow were expected all along Interstate 5 in Oregon, the state’s main north-south route, including Portland. The state braced for wind gusts up to 60 mph.

Up to 10 inches of snow was expected all along Interstate 5 in Oregon, the state’s main north-south route, including Portland. The state braced for wind gusts up to 60 mph.