Blizzard to hit the Northern Plains

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Blizzard warnings were posted across the Northern Plains early Monday as a bitterly cold wallop of snow threatens the region, while residents of the Midwest and Northeast dug out after their own tussles with weekend storms.

Arctic air was to dip down from Canada and spread snow into Montana, the Dakotas and Minnesota before marching into the Midwest, South and Northeast by the end of the week.

Parts of the Midwest and Northeast were already trying to handle up to a foot of snow that caused two large vehicle pileups — a 59-vehicle crash in New Hampshire and another in Connecticut that involved 13 vehicles. There were at least four weekend traffic fatalities.