Ice Storm Continues to Ravage Central U.S.

An ice storm that has caused deadly road conditions across the central U.S. is not expected to let up with the National Weather Service warning that widespread freezing rain is expected to continue over much of Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri through Sunday night.

The icy conditions have caused travel headaches with slick road conditions being blamed for a 20-vehicle pileup in Wichita, Kansas, however no major injuries were reported. In Missouri, three people were killed in crashes believed to be weather-related, NBC news reported, citing the state's highway patrol. Two weather-related deaths were reported in Kansas and another in Oklahoma, USA Today reports.

A state of emergency has been declared in Oklahoma and Missouri and the national guard has been mobilized in Kansas and Missouri. Agencies in the states affected by the ice storm warned residents to be cautious while traveling or to avoid travel altogether.

The NWS warns that Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas will see the greatest effects of the ice storm. Sunday's NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers was moved from the afternoon to 8:20 p.m. due to the storm so that crews would have enough time to treat roads and parking lots.

"As of early Sunday morning, there are expansive ice storm warnings, freezing rain advisories and winter weather advisories in effect from northeast New Mexico to central Illinois. Winter storm watches and warnings are in effect for the northern edge of the precipitation shield, spanning from eastern Colorado
to southern Minnesota, where significant accumulations of snow and sleet are likely," the NWS says.

Further south in Texas, periods of heavy rain are possible in the central and southern parts of the state along with the risk of flash flooding.

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