Monday, March 30, 2009
CHICAGO (AP) — Spring storms made for a soggy weekend from the Great Plains to the Gulf Coast, knocking out power to thousands in Chicago and, in a twist from Mother Nature, covering the Texas Panhandle with a foot of snow that melted less than a day later under balmy 70-degree weather.
Snow and sleet struck overnight Saturday in Illinois, where ComEd reported Sunday that about 10,000 customers remained without power, down from about 45,000. The National Weather Service said half a foot of snow fell north of Chicago, and O’Hare International Airport reported fewer than 75 flights canceled.
Freezing rain and more snow were expected in parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, where the weather service in Gaylord predicted up to two inches of snow on top of the three to five that fell over the weekend. A winter weather advisory issued earlier was canceled.
In Amarillo, Texas, where as much as 11 inches of snow fell in a blizzard that started Thursday, most of the snow had melted less than 24 hours later in 70-degree weather.
The spring storm brought an unexpected taste of winter to the region where average temperatures in March are in the mid-60s. At the height of the storm, authorities in Dalhart rescued 136 stranded motorists, Dalhart Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Curtis Brown told the Amarillo Globe-News for its Sunday online edition.
As much as 25 inches of snow fell in parts of Oklahoma, where authorities said there were at least two traffic fatalities and dozens of injuries related to the weather system. Power outages in the state affected at least 6,000 customers at one point.
The system also prompted a disaster declaration in Kansas where two deaths were reported over the weekend as a blizzard buried parts of the state in ice, slush and up to two feet of snow. A 72-year-old man shoveling snow died of a heart attack Saturday, and a 58-year-old woman was killed Friday in a car accident.
The system also prompted a disaster declaration in Kansas.