Death Toll Rises to 6 as Winter Storm Argos Marches Across the U.S.

Two people died Monday morning in New Hampshire in two separate accidents that officials are blaming on icy roads. Another fatal crash was reported in Pennsylvania as parts of the region were clobbered by a heavy round of snow that rendered roads unsafe.

In Minnesota, the State Patrol told the Associated Press there were nearly 450 crashes and 860 spinouts statewide as the storm marched across the country. At least three deaths happened on icy Minnesota roads Friday.

(MORE: Check the Forecast for Winter Storm Argos)

Here's what we know about the impacts of this winter storm.

New York

Several New York counties issued travel advisories Monday, and Cayuga County issued a complete travel ban for all vehicles except first responders, CNY Central reported.

A school bus taking students from suburban Rochester to New York City crashed and overturned along a snowy upstate highway Monday, the AP reported. WHEC-TV's Jennifer Lewke reported up to 11 students may have been injured along with the bus driver, who told first responders he was trying to avoid a car that had spun out in front of him.

Scores of schools from the Rochester area east to central New York either called off classes Monday or delayed their start by two hours, as the effects of the storm were felt in the area, the AP also said. Along Lake Ontario, SUNY Oswego canceled daytime and evening classes Monday at its main campus and Syracuse branch due to Argus.

South of Watertown, snowfall totals eclipsed three feet near the town of Lorraine on Monday afternoon.

Nearly 17,000 residents were left in the dark in Rochester on Sunday. Rochester Gas and Electric tweeted that crews would be working through the night to restore power. But according to the AP, several thousand utility customers around Rochester were still without electricity service after wind gusts topping 40 mph brought down power lines.

New Hampshire

A Somersworth woman has died after the small truck she was driving slid off the Spaulding Turnpike in Dover, struck a guardrail and overturned, New Hampshire State Police Troop A told the Foster's Daily Democrat.

Olha Monaco, 43, was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Preliminary information gathered indicates icy roadway conditions and speed appear to be contributing factors, state police told the Democrat.

A second fatal accident occurred around 5 a.m. Monday, when a driver lost control on an ice-covered bridge on Route 4 in Durham, WMUR.com reports. Police told WMUR their investigation showed the car slid into the path of a tanker truck, which sheared off the rear end of the passenger vehicle.

The car's driver, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Pennsylvania 

A dialysis patient was killed when the medical van he was in was hit head-on by another vehicle on an icy western Pennsylvania road, Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees told the AP.

Lees said 69-year-old Robert Frain was properly restrained in a wheelchair, but died when a sport-utility vehicle hit the Med-Van about 9:25 a.m. Sunday in Cambria Township.

State police, including an accident reconstructionist, are trying to determine how the crash happened, but Lees says "It's obvious weather was a factor. The road was snow-covered and icy."

South Dakota

Roads were in bad shape across the Sioux Falls area Friday morning, and although there were some crashes reported, there were no major pileups, according to the Argus Leader. Still, conditions remained extremely dangerous due to the heavy snow and strong winds.

A Brandon Valley school bus crashed into a ditch Friday morning and had to be pulled out by another vehicle, the Leader also reports. At least six children were on the bus and all are reportedly fine. In separate incidents, a car became stuck on a guardrail on I-90 near I-29, and a vehicle hit a fence at Six Mile and Madison.

Northbound I-29 was blocked late Friday morning due to an overturned semitrailer lying across the roadway.

McCook County experienced power outages early Friday morning, The Daily Republic reports. Residents remained without power as of 5 p.m. that afternoon. Outages were also reported throughout Hanson County.  

More than 100 schools canceled or delayed classes Friday in response to the poor driving conditions, according to KELO-TV. Those who decided to venture out were advised to be extremely careful.

"You have to make sure you understand that the road conditions have changed, that means driving conditions have changed," South Dakota Department of Public Safety spokesperson Tony Mangan told KELO. "They're still changing throughout the day, so you have to be careful about what you're doing."

(MORE: Yes, There Is a 'Blizzard Alley,' and It's in the Plains)

No travel is advised on all highways south of I-90 in the southeastern part of the state, as well as on I-29 from Dell Rapids to the Beresford exit, also according to the Leader. Northbound I-29 has been closed from Beresford to Vermillion due to a jackknifed vehicle. 

Despite the wintery conditions, city officials say they will not issue a snow alert for this event, KDLT.com reports. Instead of plowing neighborhood streets, snow removal crews will apply a combination of salt and sand on well-traveled streets to speed up the melting process.

Minnesota

At least three people were killed as some parts of the state received more than two feet of snow and blizzard conditions were confirmed in southwestern Minnesota. Authorities were concerned leading up to the storm that the heavy snow, combined with wind speeds of 50 to 60 mph, would make travel extremely dangerous.

A 42-year-old man from Fulda died in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 59 while a 68-year-old Morton woman died in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 71.

Poor visibility and road conditions caused a semi truck to crash into a median on Interstate 94 near Freeport Friday, according to Sgt. Jesse Grabow of the Northwestern and West Central Minnesota State Patrol.

Tow truck operators and state troopers worked on pulling semis and cars out of the ditches near Dalton on I-94 on Friday, according to the Fergus Falls Daily Journal. Department of Transportation representative Jerimiah Moerke said that there were reports of truckers struggling to get up the hills on the freeway.

State Patrol Trooper Jesse Grabow told the Daily Journal that low visibility, ice, snow and slush are the main causes for crashes and spinouts on I-94. 

In the north-central part of the state, 4,000 were without power after heavy, wet snow downed trees and power lines, the Star Tribune reports. Crow Wing Power had to pull its crews off the roads Frida any temporarily shut down its operations due to the dangerous conditions. 

"That was a historic decision," Crow Wing Power spokeswoman Char Kinzer told the Tribune. "We've never shut down like this in my 26 years here. ... Everyone is having to close, because it's too dangerous out there."

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Friday is the average date when the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area receives its first snowfall of an inch or more.

Colorado

The heavy snowfall led to a closure of Interstate 70 in multiple locations Thursday in Colorado, the state's Department of Transportation told ABC 7 in Denver. Numerous crashes were reported, and rules requiring extra traction for vehicles were put in place ahead of the storm, the report added.

Icy road conditions may have contributed to the death of a motorist Thursday night, 7NEWS Denver reports. Police believe the driver was headed westbound on Highway 34 Bypass and lost control, sliding off the roadway and into the median before going into the eastbound lanes and colliding with another vehicle. A woman that stopped to help the people involved in the crash was struck by a vehicle as she attempted to cross the highway on foot. She was taken to the hospital and had surgery for multiple injuries.

A 20-car pileup occurred along I-70 in Evergreen and closed the road in both directions indefinitely, according to CBS Denver. It wasn't immediately known if there were any injuries in that collision.

Another pileup was reported near Clear Creek Canyon, also along I-70, after roads became slick Thursday afternoon, KDVR.com reported. This pileup involved 13 vehicles, and the interstate was also closed in the area while authorities worked to clean up the crash. Injuries were reported, but the severity of those injuries was not known, the report added.

A third major pileup occurred earlier in the day in the westbound lanes of I-70, closing the freeway from Georgetown to Silverthorne, KDVR also said.

Snow in the Denver area is also causing problems at Denver International Airport, with delays reported into the evening hours on Thursday. The Denver International Airport's latest statement said the airport is running smoothly despite the storm. However, some flight times may have been impacted or may be delayed as crews work to keep planes free of ice.

United Airlines spokesperson Megan McCarthy told weather.com in a phone interview Thursday night that some United Airlines flights had been delayed due to an equipment issue from one of the company's outside vendors. While some flights will be delayed as the equipment issue is sorted out, she said any delays on Thursday were not due to the winter storm conditions.

Independence Pass was closed for the season, according to the AP. The pass, which reaches an elevation of 12,095 feet, remained open more than a week and a half longer than scheduled, the AP also reported. It's expected to remain closed until late May.

Brian Domonkos, supervisor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Colorado snow survey, told the AP the slow start to the snow season means it's unlikely Colorado's mountains will be able to catch up to season-long averages.

"I wouldn't call it likely, no," he told the AP. "But it's not out of the realm of possibility."

Wyoming

Heavy snowfall forced authorities to close a 50-mile stretch of I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne Thursday morning. Travel conditions were lousy on most state roads, and officials advised against any travel in central and northern Wyoming that wasn't absolutely necessary, the AP reported.

By Friday morning, all major roads were reopened statewide.

Argos comes at a time when the Rockies desperately needs snowfall. In a separate report from the AP, experts worried that a lack of snow this season could cause reservoirs to run low with less snowmelt in the warmer months. Many ski resorts also postponed their openings because of the lack of snow and temperatures that didn't allow for the production of manmade snow, the report added.

Wisconsin

A wind advisory was issued for the southeastern part of the state as Argos began to rev up. 

Winds reached up to 56 mph in Camp Creek. 

Saturday authorities responded to a rollover crash on eastbound I-94, FOX6 reports. Drivers were rerouted onto County Highway F. Officials believe slippery roads caused the crash.