Weather Service warns of 8-state Midwest blizzard

MINNEAPOLIS – Much of the upper Midwest braced for frigid temperatures and heavy snowfall Sunday as the National Weather Service warned of blizzard conditions spanning parts of eight states.

The heavy storm was moving eastward a day after it dumped 20 inches of snow in parts of the region, forcing numerous road closures and even postponing for a day an NFL football game when the New York Giants were unable to get to Minneapolis to play the Minnesota Vikings.

A blizzard warning was in effect Sunday for Chicago and much of northern Illinois, all of Iowa, large sections of southern Minnesota and Wisconsin, and smaller areas in North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and Michigan, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the rest of the region was under a winter storm warning or a hard freeze watch. Wisconsin authorities issued a statewide no-travel advisory Saturday, citing blizzard and winter storm warnings in nearly every county.

The weather was an unexpected burden for one Minnesota man who had pledged to camp out on the roof of a coffee shop to help his daughter's school raise money.

Hospital executive Robert Stevens donned four layers of long underwear, heavy boots and a down coat before embarking on his quest Friday night. He vowed not to come down until he had raised $100,000, but after reaching the halfway mark Saturday morning, he said he hoped the rest of the money would come fast. He didn't look forward to spending another night out in the blizzard.