The powerful winter storm that lingered over Colorado, punishing it with snowdrifts up to 10 feet (3 meters) high, had barreled out of the Plains states Monday, leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power, AP reported. At least 12 deaths were blamed on the storm, most in accidents on icy roads. By Monday morning, no snow was falling across the middle of the nation as the huge storm that once stretched from Canada to Mexico had picked up speed and moved well to the east. The remains of the weather system poured rain along a line from Florida to New York, with snow in parts of the northeastern New England states. A fleet of small planes canvassed snow-covered roads southeast of Denver on Sunday, searching for travelers stranded in areas where roads were blocked by snow drifts that measured 10 feet (3 meters) high. National Guard troops rescued at least 44 people. «This is a very significant storm; it's in the record books,» said Scott Blair, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The storm struck on Thursday, but many roads in eastern Colorado remained closed Sunday. Interstates 70 and 25 reopened Sunday evening. The National Guard was also mobilized in Kansas, where more than 44,000 homes and businesses were blacked out and stretches of more than a dozen highways were closed. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius declared an emergency. Parts of Kansas got up to 32 inches (81 centimeters) of snow and wind piled it into drifts 15 feet (4.5 meters) high. The state Highway Patrol used an airplane to find stranded motorists. Al Butkus, spokesman for the Kansas utility Aquila Inc., said it could be a week before power is restored to all customers. In New Mexico, up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow fell on Albuquerque and authorities had to clear a logjam of vehicles stuck along Interstate 40.
