Travel Is Curtailed in Midwest as Winter Storm Toll Rises to 31

Storms made travel all but impossible Friday in South Dakota and other parts of the upper Midwest, while temperatures plunged well below freezing from Colorado to Tennessee. At least 31 deaths were blamed on the storms since late Wednesday.

Disruptions ranged from canceled classes and cabin fever to metal fatigue on snowplows.

Windchills in many parts of South Dakota fell to more than 70 degrees below zero in a storm expected to last through the weekend. Almost the entire interstate highway system was closed in the state and authorities recommended no travel.

North Dakota Gov. Edward T. Schafer postponed his inaugural ball, saying it was too dangerous for people to attend the Saturday event.

In Minnesota, where northwest winds gusting to over 40 mph reduced visibility to zero in places, authorities said snowplows and their operators were so taxed they could only perform rescues, not clear roads. More than 100 school districts canceled classes Friday.

Snow piled up in Michigan because polar and subtropical streams of air converged over the Great Lakes, National Weather Service forecaster Jeff Boyne said.

Coloradans were warned of windchills up to 50 degrees below zero because of 20 mph to 30 mph winds coupled with the temperatures in the single digits.