Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― The first major winter snowstorm of the season made life miserable throughout much of the Upper Midwest and the governor of Wisconsin has already declared a state of emergency.

Five deaths are reported and hundreds of flights canceled, as the same storm that clobbered us is now moving north and towards the East Coast.

Problems were mounting at the airports in Chicago. Weather on the East Coast and de-icing of planes have caused more than 200 cancellations at O'Hare International Airport and delays of more than 45 minutes on average for all flights as of 10:30 a.m., according to the city Department of Aviation. At Midway Airport, there have been no significant delays, but more than 25 flights have been canceled.

But in Wisconsin, the situation was far worse. The snow slammed the state so severely that Gov. Jim Doyle declared a preemptive state of emergency.

Under that declaration, the Wisconsin National Guard may be dispatched to assist authorities as needed for response and recovery during the snowstorm, CBS affiliate WDJT-TV, Milwaukee, reported.

Semis and many vehicles slid off of Wisconisn State Highway 51 Wednesday morning. Ten thousand customers in the Madison area were still without power as of late morning.

Classes were canceled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and all nonessential employees were told to stay home, WISC-TV, Madison, reported.

Some parts of the state were expected to get 15 inches of snow.

In parts of Minnesota, more than a foot of snow was forecast, with wind gusts of up to 50 mph. CBS station WCCO-TV, Minneapolis, reported that the blowing and drifting snow became so severe that the Minnesota Department of Transportation advised no travel from Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon in the southern part of the state.

Minneapolis and St. Paul both declared snow emergencies on Wednesday, WCCO reported.

"I hate it. I really hate it. I'm a summer baby," said Minneapolis resident Sheena Major.

Des Moines, Iowa, is forecasting a total of 13 to 16 inches of snow by the time the storm passes, followed by air temperatures of  minus 5, KCCI-TV reported.

Farther west in Omaha, snow was expected to total 8 to 12 inches, and snow plows were struggling to keep up. One private snow plow hit and killed a 28-year-old woman as snow fell across Nebraska's largest city, CBS affiliate KMTV-TV reported.

At the airport in Omaha, commuters were miserable.

"I'm actually heading back to Los Angeles, but with this blizzard, it just won't stop," said traveler Cody Law. "And right now all the flights are canceled and I can't get home."

Many flights weren't making it out because of the weather and with snow-covered roads, cars are also having a hard time leaving the airport.

"We're trying to get home but the roads are closed from the snow, so we're stuck here overnight," said traveler Dodi Krynen. She plans to sleep on a chair at the airport Wednesday night.

But in the eastern part of the Midwest region, the news wasn't so bad. In Detroit, snow showers were forecast for Wednesday afternoon, but with accumulations of less than an inch, CBS station WWJ-TV reported.

While temperatures will be in the single digits from Chicago to the Great Plains Wednesday night, in Detroit they will bottom out at a comparatively balmy 34 degrees. On Thursday, snow showers are expected to leave up to 2 inches across the Motor City.

Wind advisories and warnings were placed into effect for the storm from New Mexico to the Mid-Atlantic states with flooding in the south. Winter storm warnings were expected to be issued in New England later Wednesday.

CBS 2's Susan Carlson, CBS News, the Associated Press and the Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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