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Are
you bracing for snow? Share your photos, videos and stories from the
winter storm with CNN iReport. (CNN) -- A massive winter storm spanning
20 states dumped more than a foot of snow in some places Thursday and
brought life to a standstill in parts of ...
60 million in path of winter storm
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CNN iReport
updated 9:41 PM EST, Thu February 21, 2013
A car is stranded in the snow on
Highway 135 outside of Wichita, Kansas, on Thursday, February 21. The
huge snowstorm was moving across the Plains on Thursday.
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Snowstorm hits the Plains
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Wichita receives 14.2 inches of snow over two days
- NEW: Kansas crews search I-70 after shutting down a 240-mile stretch
- NEW: Snow even reaches southern California and the Arizona desert
Are you bracing for snow? Share your photos, videos and stories from the winter storm with CNN iReport.
(CNN) -- A massive winter storm spanning 20 states
dumped more than a foot of snow in some places Thursday and brought life
to a standstill in parts of the central United States.
About 60 million people
-- 20% of the U.S. population -- were under winter weather warnings,
watches and advisories in the 750,000 square miles affected.
Statewide emergency declared
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon
declared a state of emergency. Snow, sleet and ice could wreak havoc,
and parts of the state could see more than 10 inches of snow.
Kansas City, Missouri,
Mayor Sly James also declared a state of emergency. There were 250 snow
plows working to clear roads in the city, and residents were urged to
limit travel.
Giant winter storm impacts millions
'Thundersnow' caught on video
Kansas City International Airport shut down because of the weather, according to Joe McBride with the city's aviation department.
The city picked up 7.6 inches of snow, a record daily snowfall, the National Weather Service said.
CNN iReporter Joseph Kopel posted photos of empty shelves in St. Joseph, Missouri, on Wednesday as people stocked up for the blizzard.
Authorities in Kansas had
closed a 240-mile stretch of Interstate 70 west of Salina earlier in
the day. Two dozen soldiers from the Kansas National Guard later
searched the interstate and U.S. Highways 54 and 400 farther south for
any stranded travelers.
In Wichita, despite
crews spreading salt and sand across roads for days, many roads remained
slick. Side streets were worse, CNN affiliate KSN reported.
Gov. Sam Brownback called for people to stay home.
"If you don't have to travel, don't do it," the governor said.
The storm started to
wind down Thursday night in Wichita after leaving 14.2 inches of snow
over two days -- the second highest storm total in the city's history,
according to the National Weather Service.
Topeka received 9.2 inches of snow.
The University of Kansas
closed two of its campuses -- in Lawrence and Overland Park, both near
Kansas City -- through Friday because of the weather.
Across the country,
flights were canceled or delayed because of weather. St. Louis,
Dallas/Fort Worth, Chicago's O'Hare, and Denver had the most
cancellations and delays after Kansas City, according to FlightStats,
which tracks air travel.
United Airlines announced Thursday that certain affected travelers can change their itineraries without paying fees.
Some drought relief expected
There is a silver lining for some areas facing the heavy snowfall.
"Big chunks of Nebraska,
Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas" are facing exceptional drought, HLN
meteorologist Bob Van Dillen said. "You squeeze out the water from the
melting snow, and you're talking 1 to 2 inches of water for those dry
regions."
Wednesday, CNN iReporter Doug Simonton in Tulsa, Oklahoma, posted a photo of a car covered in snow and said numerous traffic accidents had been reported around town.
A large system
The storm system is huge and carries with it a warmer, wetter Southern component.
It will eventually
stretch from the Dakotas to Houston, Myers said. While it will remain
snowy in the north, the system was forecast to spawn torrential rains
and tornadoes along the Gulf Coast and dump freezing rain over Arkansas
and Missouri.
"There's going to be a
monster ice storm over Springfield and Branson, Missouri. Think of an
inch of ice coating everything," Myers said. "Power lines will be coming
down. Trees will be coming down."
In St. Louis, freezing
rain is predicted to fall on top of a thin layer of snow, which will
have "a significant impact on travel," the National Weather Service
warned.
North of where the most
snow will fall, Chicago could receive as much as 6 inches, CNN's Sarah
Dillingham said. The city is running 15 inches below its average
snowfall for the season.
Southern downpours
Severe thunderstorms
moving in from the Gulf of Mexico are expected to bring 2 to 6 inches of
rain to New Orleans and Montgomery, Alabama, according to CNN's weather
center, before rolling up toward Atlanta.
The torrential rains
could lead to significant river flooding, as flood watches are still in
effect from last week's heavy rains.
Heavy winds, hail and tornadoes are possible, the National Weather Service said. Downpours are expected to continue into Friday.
Desert dwellers stunned
On Wednesday, the winter
storm system left a rare thin layer of snow across the deserts of
Arizona, New Mexico and southern California as far south as the border
with Mexico.
"I've been here for over
10 years and I've never seen it snow like this," Kayla Avery of Tucson,
Arizona, said in a CNN iReport, which came with a video of the snowfall.
"There is more snow on the ground in Tucson today than I have seen in over 30 years living here," Carrie Tucker said in another iReport.
Mona Jensen of Dolan Springs, Arizona, posted photos of her 8-acre property blanketed by snow.
Katie June in Yucca Valley, California, shared a shot of a snow-covered cactus.
"Some of the larger ones are having a hard time," she wrote. "But they all enjoy the drink!"
Joan Dedmon in Tuscon, Arizona, also found snow on cacti and shared a picture of a snow-covered birdfeeder. She said it confused the hummingbirds who were trying to get a meal before dark.
CNN's Steve Almasy, Mike Pearson and Pedram Javaheri contributed to this report.
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