Winter strikes Midwest

The first major snowstorm of the season blew across the Plains and Midwest on Thursday, grounding hundreds of flights, closing schools, glazing highways and threatening to dump up to a foot of snow on communities that had basked in balmy weather only days earlier.

The wintry weather spread across an area stretching from Texas to Michigan.

The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory for Southeast Missouri until 6 a.m. today. Up to 2 inches of snow could fall, possibly mixed with sleet, said Chris Noles, a meteorologist with the service in Paducah, Ky. Today's high is forecast to be 37 degrees.

The heaviest accumulations in Missouri are expected in the southwest. Forecasters were predicting up to 2 feet of snow south of Kirksville, prompting a heavy snow warning

In Springfield, Mo., freezing rain and sleet knocked out power to 15,000 customers Thursday, and the forecast called for snow and high winds.

"It will get worse before it gets better," said Ernest Decamp, a spokesman for the city's utility.

St. Louis expected to see 3 to 5 inches of snow before the storm moved out.

By Thursday afternoon, all but two departing flights from St. Louis' Lambert Airport had been canceled for the rest of the day. Flights were canceled from Chicago to Dallas-Fort Worth.

Cape Girardeau police urged residents to stay at home if possible.

Officer Stephanie Johnson said the department is prepared for the onslaught of calls from stranded motorists and has two Ford sport utility vehicles to get through slush and snow in a hurry if needed.

Johnson recommended motorists allow adequate time to get to their destinations and to be as cautious as possible.

Johnson said the department often sees more traffic accidents right before a storm hits than during the actual storm.

"I think people are in a hurry to get their shopping done and get home before the storm," she said.

Staff writer C. M. Schmidlkofer contributed to this report.