Fast-moving winter storm delays travelers across the U.S.

The mega-storm that is barreling across the country has taken a new and deadly turn. An avalanche killed one skier and left another severely injured at a resort near Lake Tahoe in California.

The storm is on the move Friday evening, causing whiteouts and spinouts on icy highways throughout the Midwest, where blizzard warnings are now in effect. At least 125 million people are under winter weather alerts.

The storm system wiped out visibility from Minnesota to Fargo, North Dakota, causing collisions and this semi to spin out, blocking several lanes. The snow was waist-deep in rural Skykomish Washington, where impassable roads marooned residents without power.

As CBS News was driving on the interstate in Missouri, we saw a domino effect of semi-trucks that skated into ditches. Drivers faced the same misery in Ankeny, Iowa, where cars slid on icy roads, leaving car parts littered across the highway.

Further south in Fort Worth, Texas, rescuers pulled a truck out of the Trinity River. Two men were dead inside. Officials believe wet roads were to blame.

The fast-moving storm brought travel to a standstill. There were more than 4,000 cancellations and delays across the country. A Delta flight taking off at Kansas City International Airport skidded off the runway due to icy conditions. No one was hurt.

The storm has already dropped about 6 inches of snow in De Moines. but whats especially treacherous about this system is all the ice forming on the ground in some areas. Folks are dealing with black ice and whiteout conditions.