China Snowstorms Kill 38

Lake Shore Drive closed, 24-foot swells on Lake Michigan...

(NEWSER) - One-third of the country is covered in snow , but the storm hammering Chicago is especially intense. What they’re dealing with, courtesy of the Tribune , Sun-Times , and the San Francisco Chronicle :

• Hundreds of motorists and bus riders were stranded last night and early this morning on Lake Shore Drive due to snow, ice, and whiteout conditions; while many were rescued after five hours or so, some reported being trapped for as many as nine hours. The Drive was completely closed around 7:50pm, as officials tried to clear abandoned vehicles from the paths of plows, buses, and salt trucks.
• Though official reports claim drivers were urged to stay in their cars, “Lake Shore Drive” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter as users tweeted that people were being told to leave their cars in order to avoid danger from Lake Michigan’s 24-foot swells.

Monster storm covers a third of US

(NEWSER) - What meteorologists are calling the biggest snowstorm in decades is causing chaos from Mexico to Maine. NASA—which says this "massive winter storm affecting a large portion of Great Plains and Midwest" is set to get worse—has released a satellite image in which the US is barely visible under the storm, Gizmodo reports. Much more travel disruption is expected as the monster storm system moves northeast to New England. More»

Storm expected to hit same area as post-Christmas blizzard

(NEWSER) - Uh-oh: Is New York City's sanitation department ready for another epic snowstorm? The storm currently wreaking havoc on the southern US will merge with a Midwest storm today, potentially resulting in another blizzard tomorrow night in the same northeastern area that got pounded by snow after Christmas . The storm could bring six to 12 inches or more of snow, plus high winds, AOL News reports. It is expected to affect northern New Jersey all the way to eastern New England. Click for more on the coming storm . More»

That's what some witnesses claim, prompting an investigation

(NEWSER) - The New York City snow scandal gets more scandalous: Following reports that sanitation workers deliberately slowed down clean-up efforts , investigators are now looking into a report that four of those workers—supervisors, no less—skipped out on their duties to drink beer in their car. The New York Post ran the report yesterday, sparking an official follow-up, CNN reports. Officials are urging anyone with information about “deliberate inaction or wrongdoing” to step forward. More»

He had 'a great five days'

(NEWSER) - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie wouldn’t change a thing about the way he and his state handled the recent East Coast blizzard —including the fact that he was out of the state for five days during it. At his first public event since the storm dumped almost three feet of snow on some parts of his state, Christie explained that he promised his kids a Disney World vacation, and he doesn’t regret staying in Florida one bit: “I had a great five days with my children.” More»