Midwest blizzard blamed for 4 deaths, traffic jams, school closures MILWAUKEE, Dec. 21 (UPI) -- A winter storm muscled through the U.S. midsection, killing at least four people, snarling travel and knocking out power for tens of thousands of customers. Double-digit snowfalls were reported in the region's first blizzard of the season and driving was hazardous in many areas. Officials in Nebraska temporarily closed much of Interstate 80 Thursday and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker declared a state of emergency for much of southern Wisconsin, CNN reported. The storm system was heading toward the Northeast, AccuWeather.com reported. Bad road conditions were blamed for two deaths in Wisconsin and two in Iowa Wednesday, law enforcement officials said. Blinding snow was blamed for a 30-car pileup on Interstate 35 near Fort Dodge, Iowa, Sgt. Scott Bright of the Iowa State Patrol said Wednesday. "When the winds start to blow, you can see about 5 feet in front of your vehicle" he said. We've had major issues all over the place. We got around 10 to 12 inches throughout the state and it's a wet snow. We have around an inch of ice on our roadways. Numerous school districts canceled classes Thursday throughout the region. Final exams at several campuses in the University of Wisconsin system were canceled as well. Energy companies reported power outages affecting tens of thousands of customers. The heaviest snow fell at a rate of up to an inch an hour, AccuWeather.com reported. Gusts up to 50 mph caused blowing snow, lowering the visibility to less than quarter-mile. With 0.2 inches of snow in Chicago through midnight, the city ended its record streak of 290 days without measurable snowfall, AccuWeather.com said Friday. The previous record was 280 days in 1994. The storm caused flight delays and cancellations at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee and at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway international airports. At least 500 flights had been canceled at Chicago's airports as of 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Officials at O'Hare and Midway said there could be a ripple effect on Friday. The rough weather also affected flights at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, even though the Twin Cities only received a dusting of snow. Westbound traffic on Interstate 80 ground to a halt for several hours Thursday evening as the blizzard was winding down, the Des Moines Register reported. Some drivers who called the newspaper said they were stranded for nearly 6 hours on the highway between Grinnell and Brooklyn. In response to the reports of stranded drivers, Highway Assistance Teams were sent out to check on drivers and provide fuel and water where needed, said Bob Youni, maintenance engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation. In the Chicago area, meteorologists, transportation and city officials warned motorists to drive slowly and stay off the roads if possible because of the rain and snow that hit the city and suburbs, the Chicago Tribune reported.