A large winter storm hit the western U.S. this weekend and is expected to continue its icy tirade across the rest of the nation, bringing blizzards, tornadoes, and flooding along with it.
Around 15 million people were under winter weather advisories as of Tuesday, Axios reported. These warnings specifically include heavy snow and blizzard-like conditions in the north-Central plains and Upper Midwest, with severe weather — including possible flash flooding, thunderstorms, and rain — in the Lower Mississippi Valley, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service. The warnings are active until Wednesday morning, and the storm is showing no signs of slowing down.
Here’s the weather snapshot for Tuesday: It’s all about a massive storm in the Central and Southern U.S.
– Heavy snow, blizzard conditions and a wintry mix are likely in the north-central Plains and Upper Midwest
– Severe storms with all hazards in the Lower Mississippi Valley pic.twitter.com/bWcAGoGCg2— National Weather Service (@NWS) December 12, 2022
“This winter storm is a true coast-to-coast, top-to-bottom impact that will be felt by every person in the country at some point this week,” said meteorologist Brandon Miller to CNN.
The storm is likely to strengthen as it migrates eastward, and it could dump a foot of snow in the Rocky Mountains tonight. Wind gusts are expected to hit an area from Wyoming to Colorado, with wind speeds maxing out at 97 km per hour (96 kilometers per hour), which, coupled with intense snowfall, could lead to whiteout conditions.
Meanwhile, in Southern states including Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, strong tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail are possible from this afternoon into tomorrow morning, according to NOAA NWS Storm Prediction Centre.
NWS says that heavy snow or freezing rain will blanket the Lower Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and northern Mid-Atlantic as soon as Thursday.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed this week, The Hill reports, a headache that is likely to continue as the system moves east.