Alva Review-Courier -

CAWKER CITY, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman who was missing since her car was found abandoned in a blizzard during the weekend has been found dead.

The body of Tanya Eshbaugh, 37, of Cawker City, was found Tuesday in a field near Waconda Lake, about three miles from her car, Mitchell County authorities said.

Eshbaugh called her work on Sunday to report that she couldn't make it because of the storm and she was turning around to go home. The search began when she didn't show up for work on Monday.

Mitchell County Sheriff Tony Perez told KAKE-TV that he thinks Eshbaugh became disoriented and didn't know which way she was going when she left her car during the storm.

Sheriff's Deputy Jason Miner said there was "zero visibility" Sunday morning when Eshbaugh called her work. After she was reported missing Monday, officers went to her apartment in Cawker City and found her car missing.

Miner said the Kansas Highway Patrol had tagged the vehicle several hours earlier after finding it in a ditch along U.S. 24 near Glen Elder State Park. The vehicle was surrounded by drifting snow and there were no footprints, he said.

National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Skow said the area where she disappeared received from 5 to 7 inches (about 13 to 18 centimeters) of snow. The storm temporarily shut down Interstate 70, closed dozens of school districts and several college campuses in Kansas, prompting Gov. Jeff Colyer to declare a state of emergency.