Storm brings snow, sleet to U.S. Midwest, Northeast after hitting Texas
By Mary Wisniewski (Reuters) - A storm system that triggered deadly tornadoes and flooding in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest pushed north on Tuesday, bringing snow and ice from Iowa to Massachusetts and another day of tangled air travel. More than 40 people were killed in wild weather in the United States during the Christmas holidays in the past week, including 11 in the Dallas area who died in a series of twisters that reduced buildings and homes to splinters. Singer Craig Strickland, 29, of the country-rock band Backroad Anthem was missing in an apparent weather-related incident after His friend was found was found after their boat capsized while duck hunting in bad weather on a lake in northern Oklahoma lake, officials said. The severe weather also has stranded tens of thousands of air travelers during one of busiest travel periods of the year. By late morning Tuesday, 1,810 flights had been canceled in the United States and 3,860 were delayed. About 2,900 flights were canceled on Monday, according to FlightAware.com. Delays also were expected on roads, the weather forecasting site AccuWeather said. Parts of eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois were under flood warnings and flood watches on Tuesday, while up to a foot (30 cm) of snow was forecast for Iowa and the Great Lakes region, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. The U.S. Coast Guard had to close a 5-mile (8 km) section of the Mississippi River near St. Louis to all vessel traffic because the rising river levels created hazardous conditions. The river is expected to crest at near-record levels on Thursday. Adding to the misery, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that two mild earthquakes - 4.1 and 3.4 magnitude - rattled central Oklahoma early on Tuesday, causing power outages in an area already hit by winter storms. The Northeast, which had unusually warm temperatures over Christmas, was getting its first major snow and ice of the season, with significant snowfall in upstate New York and New England. The busy corridor from New York City to Washington, D.C., could expect sleet and rain through midday Tuesday, the NWS said. In Chicago, more than 245 flights were canceled on Tuesday at O'Hare International Airport, the country's second busiest airport and a hub for both United and American Airlines. The storm also led to 150 flight cancellations at Toronto Pearson, Canada's busiest airport, Monday and Tuesday. The low-pressure storm system created blizzard conditions in New Mexico and western Texas. Days of heavy rain triggered flooding in Missouri, where state officials said the death toll could reach 13. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere in Los Angeles, Mary Wisniewski in Chicago, Heide Brandes in Oklahoma City, and Euan Roche in Toronto; Editing by Dominic Evans and Bill Trott)
