DEVELOPING: What may be ‘worst ice storm in 10 years’ begins in central U.S.

What could be the worst ice storm in 10 years began Friday in the central U.S., as forecasters warned it will unload freezing rain on a 1,000-mile swath from the central Plains to the mid-Atlantic over the weekend. The storm is expected to cause downed trees, extensive power outages and make driving dangerous or impossible as roads turn into sheets of ice.

Ice was already accumulating by midday Friday from Oklahoma to Indiana, the Weather Channel said, with downed trees and up to 4,000 power outages reported in Springfield, Mo. One person died in a car wreck on a slick highway near Festus, Mo., the Associated Press said. Hundreds of schools and colleges closed throughout the area. READ MORE