WASHINGTON – A storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the GreatLakes has buffeted the central U.S. with heavy snow, winds, rain and hail,forcing flight cancellations, creating treacherous road conditions andkilling at least three people, including a sleeping 2-year-old Louisianagirl.

In the Upper Midwest, the early spring storm brought snow to a regionpining for sunshine and warmth.

Around 400 flights were canceled at Minneapolis-St. Paul InternationalAirport, which grounded all flights Saturday afternoon as heavy snow madeit difficult to keep runways clear and planes deiced, while blizzardconditions forced the airport in South Dakota’s biggest city, Sioux Falls,to remain closed for a second straight day.

The Minnesota Twins home game against the Chicago White Sox was snowed outSaturday, marking the first back-to-back postponements of baseball games inthe stadium’s nine seasons.

Sunday’s game was also called off because of the storm, which by Saturdaynight had buried Minneapolis under more than 13 inches of snow (33centimeters). The Yankees and Tigers were rained out Saturday in Detroit.

Authorities closed several highways in southwestern Minnesota, where notravel was advised, and driving conditions were difficult across thesouthern half of the state.

The National Weather Service predicted that a large swath of southernMinnesota, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, could get up to 20 inches ofsnow (51 centimeters) by the time the storm blows through early Sunday.