Record Setting Snow Fall Leaves Travelers Stranded, White Christmas Across State

Staff and Wire Reports

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A fierce Christmas storm dumped more snow and ice across the nation's midsection Friday, stranding travelers as highways and airports closed and leaving many to celebrate the holiday just where they were.

Slippery roads have been blamed for at least 18 deaths as the storm moved east across the country from the Southwest. Driving became so treacherous that authorities closed interstates in Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas to prevent further collisions.

The National Weather Service said the storm posed a threat to life and property. Officials warned travelers to stay home, and pack emergency kits if they had to set out. Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry declared a state of emergency.

Jonathan Cannon was spending Thursday night at a Baptist church in Goldsby, Oklahoma after being stuck for several hours on I-35. He had left Sherman, Texas, a little after noon hoping to join his wife in Edmond, Okla. -- a trip that usually takes about three hours.

Cannon, a reporter at the Sherman Herald Democrat, said about 200 people -- plus the dogs many travelers had with them in their cars -- were in the church Thursday night, with more possibly on the way. He wasn't sure if he would be able to finish his journey on Friday.

"This is mine and my wife's first Christmas together, so she's not very excited," he said.

About 100 passengers and the same number of workers were stuck at Oklahoma's largest airport, which closed Thursday afternoon after several inches of snow clogged runways. At least 70 flights were canceled, said Mark Kranenburg, director of Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City.

Robert Smith of Denver was forced to cancel plans to fly home on Christmas Eve after visiting family members and friends in Oklahoma City. Smith said he was accustomed to snow storms -- and that none had ever hampered his travel plans.

"We are going to wait it out," he said. "We went to the grocery store to get stuff. We've got the generators ready just in case we need to use them."

Other stranded motorists took shelter at a high school gymnasium. Eric Adams, a U.S. Mail contractor from Memphis, Tenn., sought shelter at the Flying J Travel Plaza in Sayre in far western Oklahoma after strong winds caused his tractor-trailer to sway.

The storm knocked out power for thousands in the state. Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.'s Web site reported that about 6,300 homes and businesses were without power Thursday evening. Andrea Chancellor, a spokeswoman for the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, said almost 4,000 of the company's customers had no power.

Oklahoma City had received 14 inches of snow by Thursday night, breaking a record set back in 1914 of 2.5 inches. Winds gusted to 50 mph in central Kansas, while winds gusting at up to 65 mph in Texas drifted the snow as deep as 5 feet in some areas.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has a few driving tips for those brave enough to get out in the snow and drive.

• Be aware that conditions are continually changing; drive cautiously and for the conditions on the roadway.

• Check road conditions before getting out on the roads.

• Allow extra space between vehicles, so there is adequate distance for braking in wet and icy conditions.

• Stay at least 200 feet behind road-clearing equipment; crews need room to maneuver and can engage plowing or spreading materials without notice.

• Be aware of "black ice," which looks wet on the roadway, but is actually a thin layer of ice.

• Please be patient, plan trips ahead and allow extra time to reach destinations.

Check the latest Oklahoma road conditions