Susan Montoya Bryan / AP Photo
Nearly 10 inches of snow had fallen in a major snowstorm in five states stretching from New Mexico to Kansas by Tuesday morning, as forecasters warned that holiday traveling might become difficult, if not impossible. The storm was blamed for at least six deaths Monday, including four people who were killed in a New Mexico crash on Monday. The blizzard shut down a major east-west route, Interstate 40, in what National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Russell called “major whiteout conditions.” About 10 inches of snow had accumulated in western Kansas by Tuesday morning, and several more inches—as well as strong wind gusts—were expected. The storm slammed the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle Monday, with 1.5 inches accumulating in Oklahoma per hour and more than 100 emergency calls already in Texas.