DALLAS (AP) - The first big wintry storm of the season pelted Texas on Thursday, canceling hundreds of flights, dumping more than a half-foot of snow in West Texas, closing schools and slowing traffic on ice-glazed roads.

Storms rolling through the Northwest and Rockies blew through the southern Plains and Midwest, bringing the first significant ice and snow of the season. The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings from Texas to Illinois through Friday morning.