Updated at 11:54 a.m. ET
DES MOINES, Iowa The first major snowstorm of the season began its slow eastward march across the Midwest Thursday, creating treacherous, sometimes deadly driving conditions and threatening to disrupt some of the nation's busiest airports ahead of the holiday weekend.
Heavy snow and strong winds combined for blizzard conditions in some areas from Kansas to Wisconsin -- and guaranteed a white Christmas in some places -- after the storm blanketed the Rocky Mountains earlier in the week.
Iowa and Nebraska took a heavy hit from the storm, with nearly a foot of snow in Des Moines and 8.6 inches in Omaha, Neb.
Emily Rittman, reporter for CBS Kansas City, Mo., affiliate KCTV-TV, reported on "CBS This Morning" Thursday the storm left tens of thousands in Iowa without power and was expected to hit as many as 16 states.
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[h=3]Winter storm: Where is it headed?[/h]
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[h=3]Dangerous weather hits Midwest[/h]
David Bernard, chief meteorologist for CBS Miami station WFOR-TV, reports that blizzard warnings were in effect for most of Iowa extending northeast into Green Bay, Wis., Thursday morning. The southern edge of the storm was severe enough to trigger tornado warnings around Mobile, Ala.
By nightfall, Chicago was forecast to feel wind gusts of 50 mph blowing snow, Bernard reports.
Nebraska's largest school district canceled classes because of heavy overnight snow, as did many districts across Iowa, where drivers were being told to stay off the roads starting Wednesday evening because of whiteout conditions.
Light snow, strong winds and low clouds could make visibility poor and cause delays at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the nation's second-busiest airport, according to the National Weather Service. The weather has already prompted Delta and United Airlines to allow many affected travelers to change schedules without incurring fees.
By sunrise in Des Moines, the snow was starting to taper off, but that would not be the end of it, warned Kevin Skow, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the city.
"It's soon going to become less of a snow event and more of a wind event," Skow said.
The airport at Creston, Iowa, recorded the highest winds, with a gust of 53 mph. Skow said wind gusts would grow stronger later Thursday, creating whiteout conditions, before dying down by the evening. Gusts over 50 mph hampered driving in southeastern Wyoming.
Meteorologist Scott Dergan said the snow cover would drag temperatures much lower in Nebraska and Iowa.
"We're talking single digits," Dergan said. "We may even see some sub-zero temperatures in Nebraska. This cold weather will stick around for several days, maybe until the day after Christmas. So we're definitely going to have a white Christmas."
Before the storm, several cities in the Midwest had broken records for the number of consecutive days without measurable snow.
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DES MOINES, Iowa The first major snowstorm of the season began its slow eastward march across the Midwest Thursday, creating treacherous, sometimes deadly driving conditions and threatening to disrupt some of the nation's busiest airports ahead of the holiday weekend.
Heavy snow and strong winds combined for blizzard conditions in some areas from Kansas to Wisconsin -- and guaranteed a white Christmas in some places -- after the storm blanketed the Rocky Mountains earlier in the week.
Iowa and Nebraska took a heavy hit from the storm, with nearly a foot of snow in Des Moines and 8.6 inches in Omaha, Neb.
Emily Rittman, reporter for CBS Kansas City, Mo., affiliate KCTV-TV, reported on "CBS This Morning" Thursday the storm left tens of thousands in Iowa without power and was expected to hit as many as 16 states.
[h=3]Winter storm: Where is it headed?[/h]
[h=3]Dangerous weather hits Midwest[/h]
David Bernard, chief meteorologist for CBS Miami station WFOR-TV, reports that blizzard warnings were in effect for most of Iowa extending northeast into Green Bay, Wis., Thursday morning. The southern edge of the storm was severe enough to trigger tornado warnings around Mobile, Ala.
By nightfall, Chicago was forecast to feel wind gusts of 50 mph blowing snow, Bernard reports.
Nebraska's largest school district canceled classes because of heavy overnight snow, as did many districts across Iowa, where drivers were being told to stay off the roads starting Wednesday evening because of whiteout conditions.
Light snow, strong winds and low clouds could make visibility poor and cause delays at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the nation's second-busiest airport, according to the National Weather Service. The weather has already prompted Delta and United Airlines to allow many affected travelers to change schedules without incurring fees.
By sunrise in Des Moines, the snow was starting to taper off, but that would not be the end of it, warned Kevin Skow, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the city.
"It's soon going to become less of a snow event and more of a wind event," Skow said.
The airport at Creston, Iowa, recorded the highest winds, with a gust of 53 mph. Skow said wind gusts would grow stronger later Thursday, creating whiteout conditions, before dying down by the evening. Gusts over 50 mph hampered driving in southeastern Wyoming.
Meteorologist Scott Dergan said the snow cover would drag temperatures much lower in Nebraska and Iowa.
"We're talking single digits," Dergan said. "We may even see some sub-zero temperatures in Nebraska. This cold weather will stick around for several days, maybe until the day after Christmas. So we're definitely going to have a white Christmas."
Before the storm, several cities in the Midwest had broken records for the number of consecutive days without measurable snow.
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