Major ice storm bears down on central U.S.

[January 14, 2017]  (Reuters) - The brunt of an ice storm was expected to roll through the Great Plains and Midwest this weekend after claiming the life of a motorist, causing scattered power outages and wreaking havoc on travel plans for airline passengers and motorists.

Ice, freezing rain and winter storm warnings and advisories remained in effect for Saturday and Sunday from northern Texas, east across parts of the Midwest and into the Washington D.C. area, the Weather Service said.

"Expect a glaze of ice to develop on elevated surfaces including trees, powerlines, bridges and overpasses," the service said. "This will create hazardous driving conditions."

The storm's first known casualty was Tiffany Jackson, 31, of Crystal City, Missouri, who police said lost control on an icy overpass. Her vehicle slid off the road and struck trees, causing her to die at the scene, Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

Forecasters said that ice accumulation from the storm could be more than half an inch (1 cm), snow of up to 3 inches (8 cm) and heavy fog were also in the forecast in parts of region.

Missouri and Oklahoma had declared states of emergency ahead of the storm as transportation officials in those states told motorists to avoid travel.

The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport told passengers to check their airlines as the weather "could potentially impact flights" while Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City warned of "multiple delays and cancellations" on Saturday morning.

Local news in Kansas City showed video footage of shoppers rushing through grocery stores stocking up essentials.

Chris Korinek clears snow from his driveway after a heavy winter storm in Incline Village, Nevada, U.S. January 11, 2017 REUTERS/Bob Strong

"Getting stocked up for the upcoming ice storm and shelves are already empty," Tweeted Valerie Mia Juarez, a journalist in Nebraska, with a photo showing one loaf of bread on an bare shelf at a local Walmart.

The National Football League postponed the start time of a divisional playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Kansas City from around noon local time on Sunday to 7:20 pm, when conditions are expected to ease, the Chiefs said on the team's website.

As of Saturday morning, about 2,500 households and businesses were without power in Texas, Missouri and Oklahoma, utility companies reported.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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