ST. LOUIS (AP) - Freezing rain moving across the southern Plains on Friday caused numerous accidents along icy highways and prompted flight cancellations and school closures in Missouri, while forecasters warned that the weather could cripple the region through the holiday weekend.
The rain began overnight across parts of Oklahoma, southern Kansas and Missouri, where hundreds of schools were closed, including several college campuses. The atmosphere was so turbulent that thunder rumbled during an episode of freezing rain in Joplin, Missouri.
Forecasters are predicting the worst ice storm in at least a decade in St. Louis, with a half-inch or more of accumulation. More than 100 flights were cancelled at the city's Lambert Airport because of ice.
At least one fatal accident was blamed on slick conditions along Interstate 55 near Festus, south of St. Louis. Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Al Nothum said a sport utility vehicle veered off of the interstate and struck a tree, killing the driver. No other details were immediately available.
Forecasters issued ice storm warnings from the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles into southern Illinois, with up to 1 inch of ice expected in some locations. Precipitation is forecast to fall in waves Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Forecasters said ice could cause power outages and numerous crashes across the region. The storm system brought heavy snow and floods to California earlier this week.
"We could see some fairly significant ice accumulations," National Weather Service forecaster Kevin Brown said. "Enough ice accumulations to cause a lot of problems with trees and power lines and power interruptions."
In Oklahoma, the Department of Transportation cautioned drivers to slow down and avoid tailgating after major roads developed slick spots before sun-up Friday. City spokeswoman Kristy Yager said a road crew of about 75 employees was called in at midnight and began treating some bridges and overpasses, but the workers have mostly been on standby.
"We had expected that they would have driven about 200 miles each on this shift, and that didn't happen," Yager said. "But it's better to be safe than sorry."
At Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport, a handful of flights were cancelled but the airport remained open, according to a spokesman.
In northwestern Oklahoma, residents recalling a significant storm that left the area without power for three to four days in 2001 snatched up flashlights, batteries, propane, lamp oil and alternative energy sources on Thursday.
"They're grabbing generators, and I'm sold out," said Raymond Bopp, assistant manager of the Woodward Ace Hardware store in Woodward, Oklahoma, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management assembled generators and gathered supplies for use in temporary shelters, spokeswoman Keli Cain said.
Concern about the storm prompted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to activate the state Emergency Operations Center.
"Everyone should be aware that this potential weather event could disrupt travel and cause power outages across the state," Greitens said in a statement.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin declared a disaster emergency for all of her state's 77 counties. She also issued an executive order suspending size and weight regulations for oversized vehicles to expedite relief efforts.
In California, the storm brought heavy snowfall in higher elevations and led thousands of people to evacuate as rivers surged.
Brown, the forecaster from the National Weather Service, said the Pacific Ocean moisture that helped feed the storm has shifted south, creating the potential for ice and heavy rainfall in southern Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas.
"We're still going to have plenty of moisture to deal with. We could see some pretty strong storms as well," he said.
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Tim Talley reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press reporters Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City and Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, contributed to this report.