Ice, sleet, snow make a winter nightmare

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Dreams of a white Christmas turned into a winter nightmare in Oklahoma as an ice storm made roads throughout the state treacherous for holiday drivers.

The rest of the southern Plains fared little better, with sleet and freezing rain pummeling Texas and Arkansas for the second time in as many weeks, causing scores of accidents and thousands of power outages.

The National Weather Service said the worst may lie ahead, issuing ice and winter storm warnings for Tuesday with high temperatures in the mid 30s.

"It could be a major ice storm before this thing is over Tuesday night or Wednesday," said forecaster Scott Curl.

Early in the day, Oklahoma authorities reported a rash of accidents with the first sign of sleet and snow. In Nowata County, 50 miles north of Tulsa, a 13-year-old boy was killed when he lost control of his go-cart and hit a pickup truck at a snowy intersection. Two adults also died in a wreck on a frozen stretch of Interstate 35 in Payne County, 35 miles north of Oklahoma City.

The storm caused several flight cancellations in Oklahoma City, and in Tulsa, crews scrambled to apply large amounts of sand and salt to slick roads, said Dan Crossland, the city's street maintenance manager.

Snapped power lines put 13,000 Oklahomans in the dark, according to Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co.

Texas and Arkansas residents shared a dim evening as well, with ice-laden tree limbs falling on power lines and interrupting electricity to more than 40,000 customers in the two states.

"It sounds like the whole tree is falling," Brenda Herman said by phone from her home in Texarkana. "It's so scary."

Texans were dealt varied weather early Tuesday, including light snow in Amarillo, where the National Weather Service said 9 inches of snow could be on the ground by day's end. In the panhandle, fog froze and blinded drivers.

"The brunt of the storm is now starting to take better aim on the Texas Panhandle," said meteorologist Rob Slattery. "We expect it to deposit some pretty hefty snow amounts."

Lubbock had reported 67 accidents by evening. Authorities have warned people not to drive as the storm continues.