( CNN ) -- Oklahoma 's governor ordered every state highway , interstate and turnpike closed Thursday night , hours after declaring a statewide emergency because of a major winter storm battering the state and the rest of the central U.S. `` I am urging all Oklahomans to take winter storm precautions and stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary , '' Gov . Brad Henry said earlier in the day after declaring a state of emergency . `` This is a very serious winter storm , and we want Oklahomans to stay safe . '' Heavy snow and limited visibility has left treacherous road conditions in Oklahoma on Christmas Eve , snarling holiday travel , according to CNN affiliate KOCO-TV . In Midwest City , Oklahoma , nearly 50 vehicles were involved in a chain-reaction accident , the station reported . The quickly accumulating snow also caused the roof collapse of a well-known , landmark furniture store in Oklahoma City , officials told KOCO-TV . One motorist was killed Thursday in the storm on Interstate 44 , south of Lawton , Oklahoma , Comanche County Public Information Officer Chris Killmer told CNN . Killmer said there are hundreds of car accidents and stranded motorists in Comanche County . He said officials were still sending out people to find stranded motorists . They had already rescued between 65 and 70 from the conditions Thursday . A band of extremely heavy snow , capable of producing up to 4 inches of snow per hour , and isolated thunder was moving into northeast Oklahoma Thursday night , according to the National Weather Service . Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City reported 13 inches of snow and was closed Thursday night . The airport 's Web site said it did not expect to re-open Thursday night but should be open Friday morning . In the past 106 years , residents of Oklahoma City have only awakened to snow six times on Christmas morning , CNN 's Sean Morris said . Blizzard warnings have been issued for central and southwestern Oklahoma , including Oklahoma City , and parts of northwestern Texas . Blizzard warnings also were issued for Nebraska , extreme western Iowa , western Missouri , North Dakota , much of north-central and northeastern South Dakota , and the Duluth area in Minnesota . The Minneapolis Department of Transportation urged motorists to stay off the road Thursday night , saying it would be `` life-threatening '' based on forecasts from the Weather Service . The Minneapolis-St. Paul area had received about 4 to 7 inches of snow Thursday night from the storm , CNN affiliate KARE-TV reported . Minnesota State Patrol Capt . Matt Langer told CNN that between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday , the department had responded statewide to 630 calls regarding vehicles that went off the roadway , 276 property damage crashes and 60 personal injury crashes . He said there were no fatalities in any of those accidents , though one person was killed in a storm-related accident Wednesday night . Northwest Texas has already seen between 3 and 7 inches of snow with 4-foot drifts , Morris said . The Weather Service is forecasting up to 2 inches of snow in northwestern suburbs of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro . `` Anyone with travel plans over the Christmas holiday period should keep up to date with the latest weather information , '' said the Weather Service office in Duluth , Minnesota . `` It should be emphasized that dangerous travel conditions will exist across most of the region from late tonight through Christmas . '' A Louisiana man was killed Thursday when strong wind caused a tree to fall on his house , police told CNN affiliate KATC in Lafayette . Police in Scott , just outside Lafayette , identified the victim as Ryan Hebert , 44 . Localized flooding was reported in and around Little Rock , Arkansas , after heavy rain fell throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning . An ice storm warning has been lifted for most of the Chicago metro area , but continues in the far southeastern suburbs . An ice storm warning is also in effect for the mountains of North Carolina and southwestern Virginia . A winter storm watch is in effect for the mountains of western Virginia and northeastern West Virginia . Over a quarter-inch of ice is expected on trees , power lines , overpasses , bridges and highways . But the freezing rain is expected to change over to rain later Thursday , and road conditions in the area are expected to improve across the region by midafternoon Thursday . Flood watches , warnings and advisories have been issued for much of Missouri and Illinois , where several inches of rain is causing flooding in streams and rivers . The inclement weather is the second major storm system to hit the United States in a week . Last weekend , a nor'easter blanketed a swath of the East Coast in snow , forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights . CNN 's Sean Morris and Mallory Simon contributed to this report .
NEW : Oklahoma governor orders state roads , interstates , turnpikes closed for 2 days. Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City closes , reports 12 inches of snow . Louisiana man killed when tree falls on house during strong winds . Storm likely will affect travel plans , Weather Service warns .