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 LOS ANGELES (AP) - Residents in Ventura County, Calif., who were forced to flee ahead of a wind-driven wildfire are being allowed to return home this morning.

 Residents in some 80 homes had to evacuate when a windy storm swept through the state and fanned flames. Two homes were destroyed.

The same storm system is threatening to leave up to 20 inches of snow in Colorado's mountains and up to 11 inches in the Denver area.

In Arizona, gusty winds created a dusty haze and closed 34 miles of Interstate 40 in the northern part of the state for several hours. And at least four people were injured in a pileup involving two semi-trucks.

It probably won't come as a surprise to many in the metro area, but the spring snowstorm that blanketed St. Louis Sunday set a record. It was the deepest one-day snowfall in March according to the National Weather Service.

The official snow total at Lambert Airport was 12.4 inches, beating the old record by three-tenths of an inch, and snow is still falling this morning.

That old record of 12.1 inches dates back to March 24, 1912.

It probably won't come as a surprise to many in the metro area, but the spring snowstorm that blanketed St. Louis Sunday set a record. It was the deepest one-day snowfall in March according to the National Weather Service.

The official snow total at Lambert Airport was 12.4 inches, beating the old record by three-tenths of an inch, and snow is still falling this morning.

That old record of 12.1 inches dates back to March 24, 1912.

The all clear was given to staff at KOMU-TV to return to the station after there was a threat of its tower toppling from heavy snow.

Heavy snow and high winds were considered dangerous by station engineers on its nearby tower. Staff members were cleared from the building around 10am Sunday as a precaution.

This interrupted their coverage of he storm that is blanketing the area.

For up to the minute traffic information in the St. Louis metro area, check the KTRS.com traffic tab.

Drivers traveling into other parts of Missouri and Illinois can get information about road conditions from both state's transportation departments.

Missouri drivers can find updated road conditions at the MoDOT website.

Illinois drivers should check the Getting Around Illinois website.

Interstates in the immediate St. Louis area were still partially snow-covered at 3:00 a.m. Monday, but continue to improve.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Midwest is gearing up for its third major storm in a month, with up to a foot of snow expected barely a week after some cities saw record highs.

The storm system also could generate thunderstorms and tornadoes in parts of the South this weekend.

The National Weather Service says up to a foot of snow could start falling on northwest Kansas on Friday night, while Kansas City, Missouri, Indianapolis and Omaha, Nebraska could get up to 8 inches. Snow is expected to start in those cities late Saturday afternoon and continue through midday Sunday.

The system is expected to carry snow into the Northeast early next week.

In the South, forecasters say the system could spark tornadoes in Louisiana and Mississippi on Saturday.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Snow cover in western Missouri is pushing an unusually large number of snow geese into eastern Missouri near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

The Department of Conservation says a conservation area in Lincoln County north of St. Louis recorded 7,000 snow geese, with an estimated 15,000 birds in the surrounding area.

Snow geese spend the winter in Missouri and other southern areas of their range. They return north to the Arctic to nest.

The birds are common in marshes, rivers, lakes and crop fields. They move constantly to seek a place to feed.

Air travelers might want to check on any connecting flights before heading out of Lambert Airport.

Lambert spokesman Jeff Lea tells KTRS news 16 arrivals have been cancelled as of 10:00 a.m.and 19 departures cancelled, the majority from Chicago.

If you're heading north or east or have a connecting flight through Chicago, airlines are canceling nearly 1,000 flights at Chicago's two airports because of a winter storm that's expected to dump up to 10 inches of snow on northern Illinois.

Most the canceled flights are at O'Hare International Airport.

CHICAGO (AP) - The calendar may read March, but a snowstorm has much of the Upper Midwest looking like December.

A snowstorm that moved through parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota yesterday is zeroing in on Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, with the brunt of the storm expected to hit early today.

Up to 10 inches of snow could fall in the Chicago area, which would easily make this storm the area's largest of the season.

This storm could be particularly problematic for commuters. The National Weather Service says it could snow during both the morning and evening rush hours in Chicago. Emergency officials urge those who don't have to drive to keep their cars in the garage in favor of public transportation.

A light dusting of snow has transportation officials monitoring road temperatures and condtions overnight.

St. Louis County and St. Louis City street crews pre-treated the roads Thursday evening in an effort to prevent any morning rush hour surprises. But both MoDOT and IDOT officials decided to wait and monitor. Both transportation departments say they'll adjust as conditions warrant.

At midnight, road temperature sensors were showing the interstates all above freezing. But drivers are being cautioned to use extra care on elevated roadways, ramps and bridges.