Winter Lays an Even Heavier Hand on Already-Icy Nation

Up to 30 inches of snow piled up on a layer of ice and brought parts of the Ohio Valley sliding to a halt Monday, with National Guardsmen mobilized and major highways shut down. Schools were closed from Missouri to Pennsylvania.

“Nobody’s moving,” said Willie Duley, co-owner of a service station in Morgantown, W.Va. “It’s pretty bad.”

A new blast of North Pole air was rushing in behind the snowstorm, and Devils Lake, N.D., had a midmorning windchill of 92 below zero. Without factoring in the wind, Garrison, Minn., was the coldest spot in the Lower 48 states at 32 below zero, the National Weather Service said.

At least 18 deaths were blamed on snow, ice and cold during the holiday weekend.

Schools not already closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday were shut in parts of Missouri, South Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, northern Georgia and Pennsylvania because of snow- and ice-covered roads. Many businesses and some shopping malls also closed.

State government offices were ordered closed in 15 South Carolina counties and western Maryland because of ice-covered highways. The West Virginia Legislature cut back its Monday session and the Pennsylvania House canceled sessions for the week.

Ohio Gov. George V. Voinovich, West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton and Kentucky Gov. Brereton C. Jones declared emergencies to mobilize National Guard troops and equipment.

Louisville, Ky., Mayor Jerry Abramson also declared a state of emergency after 16 inches of snow fell by late morning, the most in the city’s history.

Traffic was at a standstill throughout most of the Louisville area and even some snowplows were stuck. National Guard troops used four-wheel-drive vehicles to rescue stranded motorists.

About 16,000 Louisville Gas & Electric Co. customers were without power, utility officials said. Schools and armories were opened for people needing emergency shelter. An estimated 6,000 to 10,000 homes lost electricity in Nashville.

Flights were delayed or canceled at airports serving Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, and most airports in West Virginia.