Blizzards, Ice Storms Wreak Havoc Across Northern Plains

CHICAGO (AP) — Travel conditions remain hazardous across much of the northern Great Plains as a winter storm continues to sweep across the region.

The combination of freezing rain, snow and high winds that forced the shutdown Sunday of vast stretches of highways in the Dakotas was forecast to continue into Monday morning.

The storm has also caused widespread power outages in the Dakotas, Nebraska and western Iowa.

As of 1 a.m. Monday, the South Dakota Rural Electric Association was reporting 10,231 "member-consumer-owners" were without power. In Nebraska, high winds were cited for hundreds of power outages in central and eastern portions of the state.

The weather service office in Bismarck, North Dakota, predicted snow accumulations of 8 to 15 inches in western parts of the state and thunderstorms in the central region.

[STORY BY: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]