“It has evolved into a full-fledged blizzard around the Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas border area,” said Alex Sosnowski, meteorologist for Accuweather.com. “It’s a pretty nasty storm.”

The storm marks a major change from the mild December so far in most of the nation. Many parts of the country could see a White Christmas. More storms are expected in the middle of next week.

Winds as high as 66 miles per hour (106 km per hour) were blowing dust and sand in western Texas, causing a string of traffic accidents along Interstate 27 north of Lubbock on Wednesday afternoon. More than 20 cars were involved in accidents that killed one person and injured 17 others along a 5-mile (8-km) stretch of road.

Corporal John Gonzalez, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, said the fatality involved a semi-trailer crashing with a sports utility vehicle, killing the person in the SUV.

The injuries to the other 17 people were minor to moderate, he said.

“You could hear them in the dirt” crashing, Gonzalez said. “But you couldn’t see them. You couldn’t see nothing out there. Couldn’t see the front hood of your vehicle.”

In western Nebraska, the State Patrol closed a 146-mile portion of Interstate 80 between Kearney and Ogallala Wednesday evening because blowing snow reduced visibility and caused treacherous driving conditions.

The patrol said extremely dangerous weather conditions were forecast through the overnight hours across a good portion of the state, and travel was not recommended.

WHITE CHRISTMAS?

In Colorado, Interstate 70 was closed east of Denver to the Kansas state line due to high winds blowing snow into drifts and reducing visibility, said Mindy Crane, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Several other roads in eastern Colorado were closed because of the blizzard conditions, she said.

Crane said a stretch of Interstate 70 in the mountains near the ski resort of Vail was closed temporarily on Wednesday so crews could do work to prevent avalanches.

Blizzard warnings have been issued Wednesday in parts of Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, meteorologists said.

The heaviest snow is falling at a rate of up to an inch per hour in parts of Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. The worst of the blizzard is expected to hit communities from Omaha, Nebraska, to Green Bay, Wisconsin, Wednesday night into late Thursday, according to Accuweather.com.

In Chicago, the storm is expected to begin as rain and later change to snow Thursday, Sosnowski said.

Heavy snow and high winds were expected anywhere from the central plains into the Midwest/Great Lakes regions through much of the day Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Hazardous travel conditions were expected through Thursday and into early Friday.

Moisture off the Gulf of Mexico is expected to cause rain in the lower Mississippi River Valley Thursday, pushing east into the southeastern states Friday.

In the West, a system along the Pacific coast will bring scattered snow and rain showers into the northwestern states, according to the weather service. Over a foot of snow is expected in the higher elevations of the Washington Cascades and upper Rockies.

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Parents brings moms and dads smart, fresh advice to help you raise healthy, happy kids. Check us out at Parents.com.

The post Tips to cure your kids’ cabin fever appeared first on Metro.us.

That figure might not work for most budgets, but owning a mountainside second home
isn’t an impossible dream.

“It’s an indulgence — not yacht indulgence, but it’s a luxury,” says Brian Ganey, Massachusett’s Jiminy Peak’s real estate director. “A love of the sport comes first. People who like to ski become homeowners here.”

Homes at Jiminy Peak, which is set in the gorgeous Berkshires, mostly range from under $200,000 for a one-bedroom condo to $500,000 for a four-bedroom.

Like Jiminy Peak, Waterville Valley in New Hampshire’s White Mountains is a cluster of small developments with different style homes. At the Golden Eagle and Black Bear Lodges, one- and two-bedroom condominiums start at $77,900. Four-bedroom town houses begin at $495,000.

“Choosing a vacation home requires the same due diligence as any real estate purchase,” says Jan Stearns, Waterville Valley Realty’s marketing director. “But it is a buyer’s market. It could not be a better time to buy. The selection of properties is excellent; a ski home is as affordable as it will [ever] be.”

Ganey agrees: “Prices dropped about 30 percent a couple of years ago, but are stabilizing. It’s still good time to buy — there’s a high inventory, and mortgage interest rates are low. Long term, prices will go up.”

Buy now
   
6 Boulderwood Way,
Waterville Valley, NH: Four-bed, three-bath duplex with mountain views and split-level design with cathedral ceilings. Listing price: $389,000. Contact: Susan Hammond, Waterville Valley Realty, 603-236-8333.

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Name:?Justine
Spotted: New York

Zara dress, $50, www.zara.com

Rebecca Minkoff chain link purse, $250, www.shopbop.com

Luxury velvet sandals, $70, www.topshop.com

River Island faux fur vest, $78, www.asos.com

Must-haves for cold weather

1. The hat hair will be worth it for this cute cold-weather staple, trust us. ASOS bobble hat, $15, www.asos.com

2. Just like Linda Rodin’s immensely popular olio lusso face oil — which fashion insiders swear
by — this new hand and body cream is made with her signature mix of essential oils, including jasmine and neroli to help fight dry, itchy skin and keep you smelling like summer is around the corner. RODIN olio lusso crema, $80, www.oliolusso.com

The post The perfect look for warm winter days appeared first on Metro.us.

Money-saving expert Andrea Woroch of online consumer company Kinoli Inc., shares some easy tips to make the coming cold months more affordable.

 Energy audit: The first step is to assess any problem areas. Ask if your utility company provides a free or low-cost energy audit, which will identify changes you should make.

 Seek incentives: Some states offer improvement incentives, including providing and installing a free programmable thermostat; paying a portion of insulation upgrades; or providing rebates on the cost of materials. Look for such offers at the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (www.dsireusa.org).

 Dodge the draft: You can waste 5 to 30 percent of your energy use to heat the great outdoors through drafts, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The simplest remedy is to place draft dodgers or snakes at leaking doors. You can use an old towel or make your own easily out of a leg of pantyhose stuffed with rice or sawdust and tied at both ends.

 Weather strip thresholds: Draft snakes are fine for cracks at the bottom of doors, but we often lose heat at the sides and top of doors and windows. Check out this Dummies.com video explaining how to install weather strips.
 
Upgrade attic insulation: Roofs are energy vampires. They’ll suck rising heat right out of your home, if not properly insulated. Types of insulation include the standard fiberglass (in both batt and blown forms), rigid foam board, spray foam and cellulose. Unless you’re handy around the house, this is a project best left to professionals.              

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“It’s hard to say what percentage of infectious diseases are spread by touch,” says Dr. Rich Zane, vice chair of Emergency Medicine at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “But we do know that all the germs that cause illness are susceptible to soap and water and disinfectants. Washing your hands is the first line of defense against contracting cold and flu viruses.”

It’s not just about protecting yourself, though. If you have a cold or the flu, or even just a warning sniffle or sneeze, be socially responsible. “People have to exercise proper respiratory etiquette, and that means covering your cough or sneeze, always,” he adds.

Stemming the spread of germs and preventing epidemics benefits everyone in the long-term, particularly in stopping the mutation of germs into super viruses.  

“When you are sick, stay home and keep your children out of school,” says Zane. “If someone comes into the ER with signs of a cold or flu they are asked to put a mask on. We continually wash our hands. It’s all basic stuff, but it works.”

Use your diet

“Strengthening your immune system with a diet loaded with immune-boosting foods is a cheap, simple strategy for preventing illness,” says Gloria Tsang, RD, founder of HealthCastle.com.

Stock up on

Yogurt for probiotics: “Look for Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus reuteri on the label. These have been scientifically shown to prevent colds by improving immune response.”
Citrus for vitamin C: “Dietitians actually recommend against a daily supplement. Instead, load up on oranges, kiwis, cantaloupe and strawberries, and only take supplements if you’ve got early symptoms of the flu.”
Mushrooms for beta-glucan: “Mushrooms have been shown to enhance [pathogen-eating] macrophage activity, which is critical in warding off infection. So, toss extra mushrooms in your pasta sauce, soups, stir-fries, casseroles, or pizza.”

Another reason to quit

Cigarette smokers aren’t going to like what Dr. Zane says about the much-maligned habit. “People who smoke are more susceptible to respiratory viruses. Smokers are less immunocompetent and smoking decreases lung function,”  he says. “The lungs’ cilia act as a brush to sweep viruses and debris up and out of the lungs, and “smoking causes the cilia to become clogged with tar [so] they can’t do their job.” 

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