Missouri, other states dig out from snow storm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sunny skies emerged across the state Sunday after a winter storm swept through the region and dumped up to 9 inches of snow in parts of western Missouri.

Transportation crews reopened highways and cleared roads after the storm created whiteout conditions Saturday afternoon that led to a 30-car pileup on Interstate 29 just north of Kansas City.

Workers were aided by a break in the weather. While temperatures hovered around the freezing point, skies were clear and no precipitation is forecast to hit until midweek, said National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Cutter.

Three people suffered minor or moderate injuries in the I-29 accident, which included three semitrailers.

Afterward, the Missouri State Highway Patrol closed the interstate from Dearborn, which is between Kansas City and St. Joseph, to the Iowa state line and said whiteout conditions made it difficult to handle the accident.

Northbound and southbound lanes of I-29 were closed until 7 p.m. Saturday, said Missouri Department of Transportation spokeswoman Elaine Justus.

The American Red Cross opened emergency weather shelters at a Methodist Church in Mound City and at the Ramada Inn in St. Joseph for dozens of travelers who were stranded by the storm over the weekend.

While conditions improved in Missouri, the storm continued to cause problems elsewhere in the country.

Winter storm warnings were posted for parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan on Sunday as the core of the storm headed north across the Great Lakes. Parts of Wisconsin already had a foot of snow, and up to a foot was forecast Sunday in northeastern Minnesota, the National Weather Service said.

Radar showed snow falling across much of Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota on Sunday and moving into parts of Michigan and Indiana.