Blizzard Paralyzes Midwest

The warm strains of the holiday classic "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" belie the cold nightmare of the massive winter storm that wracked the Midwest and Eastern Seaboard on Christmas Eve. The storm is expected to sock Kansas, northern Colorado, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri with up to two feet of snow and 40 mph winds that will likely create snow drifts several feet deep. Snow on Wednesday canceled 260 flights out of Chicago, dozens of flights out of Minneapolis, and Christmas Eve services in Omaha. At least six people have died due to slippery road conditions in car accidents in Nebraska, Kansas, and New Mexico. The news is no better on the East Coast, where freezing rain is forecast to coat roads in North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, and flash-flood warnings are in effect in the Southeast. In other words, travelers should keep a copious supply of Christmas cheer on hand, because there are going to be epic delays.