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Storms play havoc with roads and skies

Snowy and icy storms swept through the southern and northeastern United States over the weekend, leaving at least five people dead and causing the cancellation of thousands of flights - including more than 1,000 just at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Sunday.

Snowy and icy storms swept through the southern and northeastern United States over the weekend, leaving at least five people dead and causing the cancellation of thousands of flights - including more than 1,000 just at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Sunday.

Some parts of northern Texas received as much as four inches of sleet and ice - a treacherous situation for drivers and travelers.

At least three storm-related deaths were reported in the Dallas area Saturday and Sunday, according to police reports reviewed by the Dallas Morning News.

In Wisconsin, where some areas were expected to get six inches of snow Sunday, at least two drivers died on snowy roads, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Multiple traffic pileups were reported. One such accident near Racine, Wis., sent State Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, a possible Democratic candidate for governor, to the hospital, according a posting on her Facebook page.

Americans who were lucky enough to stay home during the chilly, snowy, icy late-autumn weather could watch it on television.

Kevin Witt, a National Weather Service meteorologist for the Baltimore/Washington area, said that rather than a single storm sweeping up the East Coast, a series of smaller disturbances have been bringing waves of trouble, especially as moisture in the area combined with freezing temperatures.

"We have not been above freezing for quite some time, so freezing rain is a definite threat for us even as the snow starts to move away," Witt said.

Almost 400 flights were canceled going in and out of Washington-area airports Sunday, with more than 300 others reported canceled at Philadelphia as of Sunday afternoon, according to flight-tracking service FlightAware.

The storm raised fears about a potentially dangerous Monday morning commute, with snow-laden cars and perilous, icy roads.

The heavy snow wasn't limited to the East Coast. A storm that hit along the Utah-Arizona border left hundreds stranded on I-15 overnight into Sunday.

The Arizona Highway Patrol said passengers in about 300 vehicles became stranded after up to 10 inches of snow and slick road conditions prompted the closure of part of the highway. There were no immediate reports of serious injuries.

Winter's Bite, From Coast to Coast

For days, temperatures have plunged across a large portion of the nation, accompanied by a storm system that has brought sleet, snow, ice, or all three. The weather has been a factor in several deaths, and has also caused treacherous travel conditions and thousands of flight cancellations.

California: Citrus farmers used wind machines to prevent crop freezes

when temperatures dropped into the upper 20s.

Iowa: The state's first widespread snow of the year caused a 20-car pileup on I-80 in Des Moines, with no serious injuries reported.

Kansas: Police in Topeka said that because of the high volume of weather-related accidents, officers wouldn't be sent to the scene of most accidents.

Maryland: Baltimore officials canceled the mayor's annual Christmas parade on Sunday because of snow and dangerous road conditions.

Minnesota: In the north, the low was 35 below zero in Hibbing.

Nebraska: Near Lincoln, officials had to close a three-mile section of I-80 on Sunday morning because of multiple accidents.

North Carolina: Winston-Salem and Greensboro were under an ice-storm warning.

Texas: More than 1,000 flights were canceled at Dallas-Fort Worth airport on Sunday. Road graders were called in to break up the thick ice on I-35 north of Dallas, which has had many long traffic delays since Thursday night.

Virginia: Officials braced for a major ice storm in the Appalachians along the busy I-81 corridor.

Wisconsin: Snowy conditions contributed to many multicar accidents in the southeast, including a fatal rollover on I-43 near Racine.

- Associated PressEndText