Snowstorm Delays Shipments to Great Plains, Heads North

The deadly snowstorm headed toward the Great Lakes threatens to delay further shipments after the freak weather paralyzed truck traffic to the Great Plains while passing through region.

The supply chain disruptions come at one of the busiest times for shippers as last-minute shipments are sent out before Christmas.

FedEx Freight said pickups and deliveries in most of Kanas have been canceled as many highways and local roads are closed after storm slammed the region earlier this week. FedEx also said pickups and deliveries of package shipments would be delayed in much of the region, including in New Mexico and Colorado.

The region was hit with as much as 15 inches of snow, and snow drifts of up to 10 feet high were reported in southeast Colorado and Texas, according to the Associated Press. Although Interstate 40 in the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico have been reopened, portions of Interstate 70 in Western Kansas and major highways in the western half of the Oklahoma Panhandle remain closed.

Authorities said the storm killed at least six people on Monday.

-- Contact Mark Szakonyi at mszakonyi@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @Szakonyi_JOC