BLIZZARD BLANKETS MIDWEST; SNOW LEAVES TRAVELERS STRANDED AT AIRPORTS.

Byline: Roger Petterson Associated Press 

A huge snowstorm blew across the Midwest on Saturday with whiteout conditions and drifts up to 8 feet high, canceling hundreds of airline flights, forcing motorists off roads and keeping mail carriers from their appointed rounds.

``I knew it was going to be here one way or another,'' said snowplow driver Kerry Morris in Des Moines, Iowa.

By Saturday evening, the storm had dumped 17 inches of snow on Chicago's Midway Airport; 11 inches on Coldwater, Mich.; and 8 inches on Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus. It was 13 inches deep in western Indiana's Parke County, and 10 inches of new snow had fallen in southwestern Ohio and Eldora, Iowa.

Winds gusting to 40 mph created blizzard conditions, and northern Indiana's LaGrange County pulled its plows off the roads because snow was drifting 5 to 8 feet deep.

Icy roads contributed to more than a half-dozen deaths throughout the region.

``It's nasty. I wouldn't want to have to go out,'' Vickie Berkey said from her home near Angola, Ind. ``There's a drift in front of the garage, and it just keeps getting bigger.''

More than 50 of Indiana's counties and cities declared snow emergencies, banning unnecessary travel. Gov. Frank O'Bannon declared a less-restrictive statewide snow emergency.

``The roads are impassable,'' said Pam Bright of the Indiana Emergency Management Agency.

The U.S. Postal Service even quit delivering mail in the Indianapolis area. Rain, slush and freezing temperatures made it too dangerous for carriers to walk their routes, said Postmaster Mike Lamborne.

Many Chicagoans said the storm brought back memories of the Blizzard of '79, which dumped about 19 inches of snow on the city and other parts of Illinois.

Mayor Richard M. Daley said more than 700 pieces of snow-fighting equipment would be deployed. The city's delay in plowing away the 1979 snowfall was blamed for Jane Byrne's upset victory over incumbent Mayor Michael Bilandic in the Democratic primary.

Thousands of travelers found themselves without a ride as hundreds of flights through major Midwest airports were called off.

Scores of flights were canceled Saturday at Los Angeles International Airport because of the storm.

United Airlines canceled all its flights between LAX and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport because of inclement weather, a reservations agent said.

``Every single flight has been canceled,'' the agent said. ``It's been a nightmare for passengers.''

Northwest Airlines canceled about 200 flights systemwide, including a handful of flights from LAX to Detroit, spokesman Jon Austin said.

Austin recommended that passengers verify their flights before heading to the airport.

TWA canceled nearly 400 morning flights at St. Louis, its main hub. Delta canceled dozens of flights to the Midwest. At O'Hare in Chicago, American canceled all flights through midnight Saturday, and United shut down everything after midafternoon.

United spokesman Matt Triaca said anyone planning to fly out of O'Hare should wait until Monday - or Tuesday.

That set up more delays and cancellations elsewhere across the country, including Denver and New York City's three major airports. Northwest Airlines shut down about 150 flights systemwide, and Delta canceled dozens of flights to the Midwest.

Detroit Metropolitan planned to stay open through the storm, said airport spokesman Mike Conway. Crews shut down one of the three runways at a time to clear away snow, while thousands of travelers inside the terminal scrambled to book new flights.

Blizzard conditions resulted in two pileups on Wisconsin highways Saturday, killing one person. A 10-year-old Iowa boy was killed Friday when he sledded in front of a truck. Two people were killed in car crashes in Missouri on Friday. Nebraska and Arkansas each had two storm-related traffic deaths Friday. Illinois had one storm-related death.

AIRLINE TRAVEL TIPS

Airlines suggest taking these steps to avoid anticipated jams at Los Angeles International Airport caused by flight cancellations due to the blizzards that closed Midwestern airports Saturday.

Call your airline to verify your flight is operating or to reschedule your canceled flight. Heavy holiday traffic means many flights are booked.

Be as flexible as possible in your travel plans. Flight schedules might not return to normal until early next week.

Some airlines are waiving reticketing charges for travelers with any flexibility in their travel plans, allowing them to delay their departures until early next week.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO A bulldozer clears snow from the taxiway between two passenger terminals at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago on Saturday.

Beth A. Keiser/Associated Press

BOX: AIRLINE TRAVEL TIPS (see text)