Truckers and other motorists are advised to stay off Midwest highways because of snowstorm. (Photo John Baxter)An “historic” winter storm is sweeping into the Midwest, dumping record amounts of snow, coating highways with ice and closing interstates, and carrying sub-zero temperatures.
Governors Jay Nixon of Missouri and Pat Quinn of Illinois declared emergencies for their states in advance of the ferocious storm. Nixon activated 600 members of the National Guard to help. The National Weather Service warned that travel across an eight-state swath that is home to 100 million residents could be brought to a standstill over the next few days.
I-44 West/Will Rogers Turnpike in Oklahoma is closed due to the weather and is expected to remain closed for four days. I-44 in Missouri is closed for eight miles from the state line because of stalled tractor-trailers, the Missouri Department of Transportation reported. I-70 in mid-Missouri is closed as well due to whiteout conditions.
Chicago could get hit with 20 inches of snow, 50 mph wind gusts and wind chills below zero by Tuesday night, Feb. 1. An inch of ice and winds up to 25 mph are forecast for the Indianapolis area, the NWS said
Check for state-by-state road conditions here.
