Winter storm snarls Midwest roads, claims at least 7 lives

A massive winter storm sweeping across several Midwest states has snarled traffic in several states, left at least seven people dead and thousands more without power in the dead of winter. The storm forced grounds crews to scramble to clear snow from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City ahead of the NFL divisional playoff game.

The storm moved into Kansas and Nebraska from the Rockies on Friday, then east into Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, covering roads and making driving dangerous. Part of Interstate 44 near St. Louis was blocked for several hours Saturday, and at one point, the Missouri State Highway Patrol warned of traffic delays as long as eight hours.

In Indiana, the northbound lanes of Interstate 65 were closed for hours Saturday after a semi truck jackknifed along the snow-covered highway near Lafayette, about 65 miles northwest of Indianapolis.

The storm began to spread east into the Mid-Atlantic region, with between 5 and 10 inches of snow expected in the Washington area, including parts of northern and central Maryland, by Sunday. Forecasters said heavy snow could fall in mountain areas north of Interstate 64, such as Charlottesville and Staunton, Virginia. Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency Saturday night to help the state of Virginia prepare.

Missouri had gotten the worst of the storm by Saturday, with the National Weather Service reporting more than a foot of snow Saturday morning in some places around St. Louis and Jefferson City, and more than 18 inches in Columbia.

In Kansas City, where the Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-13 on Saturday, about 8 inches of snow had fallen by early afternoon. The snow had tapered off by the time the game started mid afternoon, but stadium crews worked for hours before the game to clear the stadium’s lot, field and seats in anticipation of a full house for the playoff game.

At least five people were killed in crashes on slick roads in Kansas and Missouri. They included a woman and her 14-year-old stepdaughter whose car slid into the path of a semi trailer in Clinton, about 80 miles southeast of Kansas City, on Friday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. Another woman died when her car slid on U.S. 24 in northern Missouri and was hit by an oncoming SUV.

In Kansas, a 62-year-old man died after his pickup truck skidded on the Kansas Turnpike and hit a concrete barrier, according to the patrol. Another crash involving two semi trailers in snowy conditions killed a 41-year-old driver from Mexico, the patrol said.

Missouri troopers responded to more than 3,000 calls for help through early Saturday afternoon, including more than 700 crashes and 1,300 stranded vehicles. Illinois State Police said troopers along the Mississippi River across from St. Louis have responded to more than 100 crashes during the storm.

At Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, most flights were canceled or delayed. In central Missouri, officials said about 12,000 households and businesses were without power in Columbia and the surrounding area at one point.