Holiday blizzard hits much of Midwest
December 25, 2009 10:10 a.m. EST
Midwest's white ChristmasSTORY HIGHLIGHTS
Oklahoma's governor closes all state highways, interstates
Nearly 50 vehicles pile up in chain-reaction crash in Oklahoma
Blizzard warnings stretch from Texas to northern Minnesota
(CNN) -- That dream of a white Christmas is turning into a nightmare for some as forecasters predicted blizzard conditions to continue Friday in Oklahoma and Midwestern states.
Forecasters predicted more snow for parts of Oklahoma already covered by heavy snowfall Thursday.
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry ordered every state highway, interstate and turnpike closed Thursday night, hours after declaring a statewide emergency because of the major winter storm.
"I am urging all Oklahomans to take winter storm precautions and stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary," Henry said. "This is a very serious winter storm, and we want Oklahomans to stay safe."
Gallery: Winter storm pounds central U.S.
Video: Treacherous driving in Omaha
In Midwest City, Oklahoma, nearly 50 vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction accident Thursday, CNN affiliate KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City reported.
One motorist was killed Thursday in the storm on Interstate 44, south of Lawton, Oklahoma, Comanche County public information officer Chris Killmer told CNN.
Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City reported 13 inches of snow and was closed Thursday night. It remained closed early Friday.
In 106 years, residents of Oklahoma City have awakened to snow six times on Christmas morning, CNN's Sean Morris said.
Watch as snow blankets Oklahoma City
In addition to central and southwestern Oklahoma, including Oklahoma City, blizzard warnings were issued for parts of northwestern Texas, Nebraska, extreme western Iowa, western Missouri, North Dakota, much of north-central and northeastern South Dakota, and the Duluth, Minnesota, area.
More than 100 churches in central Nebraska canceled Christmas services, CNN affiliate KHGI-TV reported.
The decision for safety's sake could put a serious dent in some churches' finances.
"The Christmas collection in a parish typically is very important," the Rev. William Dendinger, the Roman Catholic bishop of Grand Island, Nebraska, told KHGI. "We hope those people who don't make it that day will be there New Year's Eve or New Year's Day and make those kinds of contributions."
The Minnesota Department of Transportation urged motorists to stay off the road Thursday night, saying it would be "life-threatening" based on the weather service forecasts. The Minneapolis-St. Paul area had received about 4 to 7 inches of snow Thursday night from the storm, CNN affiliate KARE-TV reported.
"You look at a map in the metro, put your finger down and that's where you want to be careful," the Minnesota DOT's Kent Barnard told KARE.
Minnesota State Patrol Capt. Matt Langer said that between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, the department had responded statewide to 630 calls regarding vehicles that went off the roadway, 276 property damage crashes and 60 personal injury crashes. He said there were no fatalities in any of those, though one person was killed in a storm-related accident Wednesday night.
CNN iReporter Vanajakshi Pingali said she recently bought a house in the Blaine, Minnesota, area. Never having lived in a region where it snows, Pingali said she wasn't used to dealing with the white stuff.
"I shoveled 4 or 5 inches before I decided to get a snowblower, so I went to Lowe's this afternoon and bought one," she said Thursday.
How is the weather where you are? Send photos, video
Northwest Texas already has seen between 3 and 7 inches of snow with 4-foot drifts, CNN's Morris said.
The weather service forecasts up to 2 inches of snow in northwestern suburbs of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
A Louisiana man was killed Thursday when strong wind caused a tree to fall on his house, police told CNN affiliate KATC-TV in Lafayette.
Police in Scott, just outside Lafayette, identified the victim as Ryan Hebert, 44.
Heavy rain was predicted for some Southern states Friday. The National Weather Service issued flood warnings for parts of Georgia.
Localized flooding was reported in and around Little Rock, Arkansas, after heavy rain fell throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
An ice storm warning has been lifted for most of the Chicago, Illinois, metro area but continues in the far southeastern suburbs.
Flood watches, warnings and advisories have been issued for much of Missouri and Illinois, where several inches of rain is causing flooding in streams and rivers.
The inclement weather is the second major storm system to hit the United States in a week. Last weekend, a nor'easter blanketed a swath of the East Coast in snow, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights.
