Winter extends its reach across U.S.

The wintry weather brought driving problems and numerous accidents in many areas, but things appeared to be improving by late Saturday afternoon with transportation officials giving the all clear for several problem highways.

Some California and Nevada ski resorts were getting a welcome dose of snow.

It began snowing in the Sierra Nevada late Friday, and ski resorts reported receiving 12 to 18 inches of snow at 8,000 to 10,000 feet, said Jim Matthews, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

“We are thrilled,” Melissa Matheney, a spokeswoman for Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows ski resorts, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We couldn’t be happier with this storm. It exceeded expectations, which is fantastic.”

The Sugar Bowl ski resort near Donner Summit reported up to 2 feet of snow by Saturday afternoon.

The storm system also brought scattered showers as it moved into the central and southern areas of California by late afternoon. The weather service said around 7 p.m., light rain moved toward the wildfire-scarred hillsides above Glendora and Asuza east of Los Angeles, the site of the devastating Colby Fire in January 2014.

Up to a foot of snow could fall through Monday, including in the San Bernardino and Angeles national forests. That follows a spell of dry weather that had some ski resorts talking about closing.

In the Midwest and central part of the U.S., various states, including Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kansas, experienced a mix of freezing rain and snow on Saturday.

The arctic winter weather system had led to several record-breaking cold temperature readings in Iowa. Mason City, Iowa, hit a record low of 18 degrees below zero at 6 a.m. Friday, shattering its 115-year-old record for Feb. 27 of 12-below, set in 1899, the National Weather Service said. Waterloo also reached a record low of 24-below zero on Friday. The previous record of 14-below was set in 1897.

A dusting of snow could be seen starting Saturday afternoon overnight into Sunday for central and parts of eastern Nebraska, with some heavier snow in the southern portions of the state. That light snow was expected to quickly move into Iowa, with heavier amounts near the southern border with Missouri.

According to the National Weather Service, freezing rain would be possible on Sunday in the southern parts of Illinois, Missouri and Ohio. Snow was forecast for parts of Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

In other parts of the country, flights were canceled because of ice on the runways, snow collapsed a skating rink roof in Massachusetts, and local governments readied for what was to come.

Stuck in Dallas

In Texas, freezing rain for the second consecutive day left highways slick and forced the cancellation of nearly another 1,000 flights Saturday at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, one of the nation’s biggest airline hubs.

The chaos Saturday was on top of about 600 flights nixed Friday, forcing about 5,000 travelers to spend the night at the airport, spokesman David Magana said. The airport provided cots, blankets and toiletries to the passengers, plus kept concession stands open overnight, Magana said.

“As it is with travel, we just have to take everything with stride, and you know there’s no controlling these situations. You just have to see what happens,” said Eric Melzer, who was at the airport on Saturday trying to find out if he would be able to fly to Minnesota.

Freezing rain coated an area stretching from about 40 miles north of Austin up to the Dallas area, said Anthony Bain, a weather service forecaster based in Fort Worth. Temperatures were expected to be above freezing by late Saturday afternoon and into the upper 40s on Sunday, Bain said. Rain was expected on Sunday for much of Texas, as well as Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Rink roof collapses

A youth hockey team escaped without injury when part of a snow-weighted roof collapsed at a Canton, Massachusetts, skating rink on Saturday morning, officials said.

Police said the rear portion of the roof at the Metropolis Skating Rink began to fail as a Norwood youth team was inside. But the team was able to get out along with parents and rink workers. All are safe and accounted for.

Witnesses said they heard a series of loud bangs before the collapse that alerted them to get out.

NYC gets ready

New York City’s sanitation department has issued a snow alert for Sunday starting after noon. Snowplows, salt spreaders and staff are ready to go into action to clear a possible few inches.

Relief from sidewalk-clearing

Boulder, Colorado, is temporarily waiving fines and fees for residents who do not clear their public sidewalks because of the extreme weather conditions. The city doesn’t want people getting hurt trying remove thick ice and snow, code enforcement supervisor Jennifer Riley said. The city usually gives residents 24 hours to clear their sidewalks, beginning once the National Weather Service declares a snowstorm over, according to the Boulder Daily Camera.

Residents who fail to clear the sidewalks usually are liable for a civil penalty and the cost of a contractor to remove the snow.

Arizona dodges big snow

Northern Arizona has evaded getting hit by what was expected to be the biggest winter storm to date.

The National Weather Service said Saturday that snow and rain fell overnight in a scattered fashion across the region thanks to warmer air. Flagstaff, which was expected to get 17 inches of snow by the end of the weekend, received only half an inch in the morning. Meteorologists say warm air heading into central and northern Arizona pushed snowfall to higher elevated areas. But a cold front is expected to arrive on Monday and possibly bring several inches of snow.

The storm system in California was predicted to spread moisture eastward to Arizona and New Mexico by Saturday night.