Blowing snow, cold disrupts U.S. Midwest travel

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Light, fluffy snow combined with arctic wind blasts snarled most forms of traffic across the U.S. Midwest on Thursday, a forecaster said.

"The big issue is transportation and brutal cold over the next two to three days. It will disrupt to the movement of livestock," Mike Palmerino, a forecaster at DTN Meteorlogix in Boston said. "And overall it's going to slow air, rail, and automobile transportation as well."

The heaviest band of snow cut across Omaha, Nebraska through Des Moines, Iowa, to Moline, Illinois, across the Interstate 80 highway, Palmerino said.

Travel is not advised in the central, south central, and the western areas of Iowa due to treacherous road conditions and restricted visibility, the Iowa Department of Transportation said in a written release on Thursday.

Snow accumulation of 2 to 5 inches is expected in the western Midwest with temperatures turning bitterly cold behind the snow.

Highs on Thursday will be between 5 to 10 Fahrenheit (minus 15 to minus 12 Celsius). On Friday temperatures are not expected to rise above 0F (minus 18C).

Low visibility caused by blowing snow will continue as wind speeds range between 15 and 25 mph (24 to 40 km per hour).

"Thursday and the next couple of days will be a tough for travel. This weather will certainly affect trucking and rail as they tend to have mechanical problems when it gets this cold," Palmerino said.

In the eastern Midwest, temperatures will not be as cold as the western areas. High temperatures will range in the mid-teens to mid-20sF (minus 9 to minus 6C) through Monday.

(Reporting by Meredith Davis; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)