As Anticipated, Heavy Snow, Destructive Ice, Even Tornadoes Cause Widespread U.S. Travel, Power Problems

Traffic really screwed up near Cincinnati due to
the big snowstorm that is hitting large swaths of the
nation.This scene was probably repeated from
Kansas to Maryland. 

The forecasts came true: The worst winter storm so far this winter is blasting a huge section of the United States with pretty much every kind of bad weather imaginable. 

The storm has featured blizzard conditions, heavy snow, sleet, tree-shattering freezing rain, downpours, even tornadoes. So far, three deaths have been blamed on the storm. 

The governors of Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri and New Jersey have all declared states of emergency because of the storm. So far, the deepest snow from this storm is 18 inches in Chapman and St. George, Kansas. 

The damn thing has stretched at least 1,300 miles from Kansas to Delaware.  The storm should finally exit the East Coast tonight, leaving behind a big pool of frigid winter air. 

Though this is far from the biggest winter storm to ever hit the U.S. and the subzero cold behind it isn't breaking many records, it is causing its share of misery. 

This storm system proves that you don't need record extreme weather conditions to create havoc. All you need is a fairly strong, but not that unusual winter storm hitting a large population to really screw things up. 

Travel in the storm zone is a nightmare. FlightAware says 1,300 flights were canceled in the U.S. as of very early this morning. 

Traffic accidents caused huge backups and left people stranded on highways for hours around Cincinnati, St. Louis, Kansas City and other big cities all the way to the East Coast.

Freezing rain has caused havoc in parts of Missouri, Kentucky and other states. Enough ice has accumulated on trees in some locations that those trees are collapsing under the weight of that ice. 

At last report, at least 250,000 homes and businesses were without power, mostly in the central U.S. and Midwest. In Kentucky alone, where freezing rain has been persistent, 81,000 homes and businesses are without power 

Washington DC is pretty much shut down this morning as the heaviest snow there arrived just in time for the morning commute. Snowfall rates of up to 1.5 inches per hour were moving into northern Virginia and the DC areas just before dawn today. 

Schools and federal offices around the nation's Capitol are closed as up to a foot of snow is expected. That would be the region's biggest snowstorm in years, probably more than a decade.

The storm has been pretty electric, with lots of reports of thundersnow, thunder sleet and thunder freezing rain from Kansas to the Appalachians.

There was also at least five reports of tornadoes in Mississippi and southeastern Arkansas with this storm system. 

A new storm could spread snow and ice from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic by this weekend, but the potential storm's strength and path is still full of question marks. 

Videos:

Dan Robinson captured trees collapsing under the weight of ice in Perryville, Missouri. Click on this link to view, or if you see the image below, click on that:

Traffic accidents stalled cars and trucks for hours around Cincinnati. Again, click on this link to view or if you see image below, click on that: 

And no winter storm report is complete without Jim Cantore enjoying thundersnow, this time in Kansas City, Missouri. Thundersnow is clearly his favorite type of weather. Again click here to view or if you see the image below, click on that:

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