MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A major winter storm turned Midwest commutes into treacherous challenges Friday before the system petered out over the Great Lakes.
At least four deaths were linked to the storm, including three from traffic accidents, brought on by gusty winds and snow-covered roadways.
Places in Kansas and Missouri saw a foot or more of snow on Thursday, and spent Friday digging out and clearing its miles of roadways. Impressive totals included 18 inches in the southern Kansas town of Zenda; 17 inches in Hays, Kan.; 13 ½ inches in northeast Missouri and south-central Nebraska; and 12 inches in parts of Kansas City, Mo.
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A car is buried under a blanket of snow in Omaha, Neb., Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, following a large winter storm that travelled through the heartland. The snowstorm left behind varying amounts of snow and ice across the Midwest, and has caused difficult travel conditions. AP / Nati Harnik
Rick Branstetter of Avoca, Iowa, cleans his driveway and sidewalks early Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Des Moines Register / Bryon Houlgrave
Bob Kertis clears out the driveway of his northeast Rochester, Minn. home with snow still falling Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Rochester Post-Bulletin / Ken Klotzbach
Tom McReynolds clears snow from a neighborsê house in Benjamin Hills, Thursday, February 21, 2013, in Wichita, Kan. The Wichita Eagle / Jaime Green
While covering himself with snow, a man uses a snow thrower to clear the sidewalk of a business during the morning hours Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in Topeka, Kan. Kansas was the epicenter of the winter storm, with parts of the state buried under 14 inches of powdery snow, but winter storm warnings stretched from eastern Colorado through Illinois. Topeka Capital-Journal / Chris Neal
Tom McReynolds clears snow from a neighborsê house in Benjamin Hills, Thursday, February 21, 2013, in Wichita, Kan. The Wichita Eagle / Jaime Green
Dylan Irving, 9, and his sister Sydney Irving, 11, run under the spray of a snow thrower, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in St. Joseph, Mo. Blinding snow, at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions, shutting down large swaths of interstate highways and forcing schools, businesses and even state legislatures to close. St. Joseph News-Press / Jessica A. Stewart
Chris Peacock clears his neighbor's driveway in Des Moines Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, after an overnight snowstorm dumped six inches of snow in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register / Rodney White
John Potyondy of Fort Collins, Colo. uses his snow blower to remove snow from his side walk Thursday Feb. 21, 2013, where an over-night storm dropped about two inches on Fort Collins. The Coloradoan / V. Richard Haro
Employees from a local landscaping firm clear snow from business near 21st and Ridge, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in Wichita, Kan. The Wichita Eagle / Bo Rader
Chuck Carroll, center, uses a snow blower to clear the sidewalk in front of his business in downtown Salina, Kan. Thursday morning Feb. 21, 2013. Carroll said he had cleared the sidewalk Wednesday night and expected to remove snow at least once more Thursday. Salina Journal / Tom Dorsey
Charles Sinclair uses a snowblower to clear drifted snow off a driveway Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in Garden City, Kan. Garden City Telegram / Brad Nading
A man uses a snowblower to clear his driveway in Eagan, Minn. on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Star Tribune / Glen Stubbe
Manalo Tornes digs his car out shortly before sunrise Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, in Omaha, Neb. Omaha World-Herald / Alyssa Schukar
Billie Byrd of Des Moines clears the steps of the Iowa Capitol Friday Feb. 22, 2013, after an overnight snowstorm dumped six inches in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register / Rodney White
Josh Buschbom shovels out his truck bed in Des Moines Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, after an overnight snowstorm dumped six inches of snow in Des Moines. The Des Moines Register / Rodney White
Amy Wolf and her daughter Audrey Wolf, 6, shovel the sidewalk on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 in Minneapolis. The Star Tribune / Elizabeth Flores
Three road graders clear snow on Fleur Ave. in Des Moines early Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Des Moines Register / David Purdy
Plows clear Interstate 70 East near Lake Saint Louis on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. St. Louis Post-Dispatch / David Carson
Crews work to clean up the streets in downtown Wichita, Kan. on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The Wichita Eagle / Travis Heying
Heavy snow, especially toward the south suburbs made for slow traffic along Diffley Road in Eagan, Minn., Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Star Tribune / Glen Stubbe
A St. Joseph Police officer removes snow from his vehicle while stopped on the Parkway near Mark Twain Elementary School Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in St. Joseph, Mo. St. Joseph News-Press / Matt Reid
Nathan Bauer digs out his car parked in downtown Omaha Neb., Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. Omaha World-Herald / Alyssa Schukar
A pair of good Samaritans, who declined to be identified, helped push a car stuck in the snow outside the XPress Mart at 38th & Broadway in Kansas City, Mo. Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The Kansas City Star / David Eulitt
Northbound I-29 in Kansas City, Mo. is littered with stranded vehicles Thursday Feb. 21, 2013, after the Kansas City area was pounded with rapidly accumulating snow. The Kansas City Star / Keith Myers
Robert Miller, left, and J'Qwan Robinson help push a friends car out of the snow in midtown Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in St. Joseph, Mo. St. Joseph News-Press / Matt Reid
Emergency crews work to get a van out from the snow packed shoulder of I-70, Thursday afternoon Feb. 21, 2013 in Topeka, Kan. Topeka Capital-Journal / Chris Neal
Two men help push a car down a snow-covered street Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in St. Louis, Mo. AP / Jeff Roberson
A person walks on top of a parking garage as a plow drives on a street below as a steady snow falls Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in St. Louis. AP / Jeff Roberson
A good samaritan helps free a car stuck in the snow Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in Salina, Kan. Salina Journal / Tom Dorsey
Motorist attempt to push a car back on the road in Wichita, Kan. Thursday, Feb 21, 2013. Numerous cars and trucks were stuck or off the road as nearly a foot of snow fell across the area. The Wichita Eagle / Bo Rader
Rachel Day chips the ice off of her car before traveling along the wet and icy road on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Star / Matt Kryger
Abel Zurga, installs a new set of windshield wipers for his truck prior to heading out to plow snow Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in Topeka, Kan. Topeka Capital-Journal / Thad Allton
Kay Nelson scrapes ice and snow from her vehicle in Denver on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. AP / Ed Andrieski
Jackie Arrandondo, 19, is covered with snow as she waits for the city bus, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 in Minneapolis. The Star Tribune / Elizabeth Flores
A motorist drives along a wet and icy road as they pass icicle filled fences along 5 Points Road Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 in Franklin Township, Ind. The Indianapolis Star / Matt Kryger
Icicles hang from a street sign after a fast moving snow storm blanketed central Illinois, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013, in Springfield, Ill. AP / Seth Perlman
Franklin Township, Ind. School buses remain behind the iced over fences as school was canceled in the district on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. The Indianapolis Star / Matt Kryger
A man rides his bike down a snow-covered street as a steady snow starts to fall Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in St. Louis. AP / Jeff Roberson
A woman walks through Central Riverside Park on a snowy Wednesday morning in Wichita, Kan., Feb. 20, 2013. The Wichita Eagle / Jaime Green
Porter McKinnon cross country skis in Washington Park in Denver on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. AP / Ed Andrieski
James Gragson and Andre Soza take their sled off a ramp while sledding down Quinton Heights hill, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 in Topeka, Kan. Topeka Capital-Journal / Chris Neal
Marquise Sellers, an Ozark Christian College sophomore from Van Nuys, Calif., tries his hand as snowboarding behind a car in the parking lot of the college on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, in Joplin, Mo. AP / Roger Nomer
Paige Burroughs sleds down a hill with her dog Boo at the Mid-American All Indian Center in Wichita, Kan., Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The Wichita Eagle / TRAVIS HEYING Travis Heying
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