Blizzard warnings in 9 states; Chicago fears 2 feet of snow

Owasso, Okla. Ila Dooley digs her car out to try and get to work on Tuesday in Owasso, Okla. Both of Oklahoma's major airports had to shut down due to the snow. (Mike Simons / Tulsa World via AP)

story by NBC

ST. LOUIS — A monster storm was bearing down on the middle of the United States on Tuesday, with freezing rain and sleet pelting several states from Texas through Ohio ahead of blizzard conditions expected overnight.

Icicles form on a walkway along Lake Michigan in Port Washington, Wisconsin on Tuesday. (Jeffrey Phelps / AP)

Parts of nine states — Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio — were covered by a blizzard warning Tuesday morning, TODAY's Al Roker reported.

White-outs paralyzed Oklahoma City and the Tulsa area, where snowpack caused the partial collapse of a roof at the Hard Rock Casino. Blowing snow created drifts up to 4 feet high and trucks, city buses, snowplows and at least one ambulance had trouble navigating the treacherous roadways.

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