LAPORTE, Ind. — Authorities worked Monday to reach more than 70 motorists in snow-covered Midwestern state of Indiana who were trapped in their cars in biting temperatures, as the storm has blamed for at least 15 deaths.
LaPorte County sheriff’s Deputy Andy Hynek said officials don’t know exactly how many people were stranded, but some had been stuck for as long as 12 hours.
The heavy lake effect snow in Indiana was part of a slow-moving storm that has been crawling across the central United States since Friday night. The storm dumped nearly 2 feet (0.6 metres) of snow before it stretched further east, with snow in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
The upper Midwest also has been gripped by bone-chilling cold as arctic air swept in behind the storm. Wind chills were well below freezing in many places, and schools in Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin and other states shut down because of the snow.
The -11 Celsius temperature didn’t stop hundreds of football fans from lining up hours before free tickets to Monday night’s game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Giants became available at 9 a.m. at Ford Field. The game was moved to Detroit after the Minneapolis Metrodome’s inflated roof collapsed Sunday under the weight of heavy snow.