Major winter storms are forecast to impact a large portion of the U.S. on Tuesday, bringing snow, freezing rain and hazardous travel conditions to the Southwest and a region stretching from the Plains to the Northeast.
The National Weather Service (NWS) currently has winter weather warnings and advisories in effect for dozens of states, while airlines have canceled more than 150 flights and are issuing waivers ahead of what is expected to become a messy day for travelers.
"Multiple systems across the country are producing impactful precipitation and will continue to do so over the next few days," the NWS said in an advisory Tuesday.
WINTER STORM BRINGING RAIN, SNOW, STRONG WINDS FROM PLAINS TO THE NORTHEAST
Forecasters say heavy snow is likely across higher elevations of the Central Plains and Midwest through the end of today, while the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will see smaller totals. Accumulating ice and freezing rain also will be possible in the Central Appalachians.
"The highest accumulations will likely occur in the higher terrain of eastern West Virginia, western Virginia, western Maryland and southwest Pennsylvania; travel may quickly become hazardous," the NWS advisory warned.
The storm was making roads dangerous as wind-whipped snow piled up Tuesday in Wisconsin, where a jack-knifed semi temporarily closed interstate lanes south of Milwaukee before dawn. The weather service predicted up to 10 inches of snow could fall in the Milwaukee area, with the highest totals along Lake Michigan.
Tim Ahlman shovels snow outside his home in Bellemont, Ariz. on Monday. (AP)
Wind gusts of 15 mph to 25 mph were reported across southern Wisconsin, creating drifting snow, reduced visibilities and complicating snow removal efforts, said Andy Boxell, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in Sullivan, Wisconsin.
"It’s not only snow but it’s pretty darn windy out there, so that’s causing a lot blowing and drifting," he said.
In the Chicago area, between between 3 inches and 5 inches of snow had fallen by early Tuesday. Meteorologist Bett Borchardt forecast snowfall up to 8 inches or more in northern Illinois before the storm ends Tuesday evening.
There were early closures of several coronavirus testing sites on Monday in Nebraska and Iowa, and both states saw 12 or 13 inches of snow in places by Tuesday morning.
A pedestrian crosses a snow covered street on Monday in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. (AP)
"This is historic snow," said National Weather Service meteorologist Taylor Nicolaisen, who is based near Omaha, Nebraska, told the Associated Press.
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Nicolaisen added that up to 15 inches was likely between York, Nebraska, and Des Moines, Iowa and that it has been at least 15 years since that area received more than a foot of snow in a single storm.
In the South, a tornado touched down in an Alabama city north of Birmingham, leaving one person dead after a tree fell on a home. The tornado hit the Fultondale area of Jefferson County late Monday night, and other homes were damaged along with businesses.
A semi-truck travels on Interstate 40 in Bellemont, Ariz., on Monday. (AP)
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK TEMPORARILY CLOSED AFTER WINDSTORM HITS CALIFORNIA
Over the weekend, more than a foot of snow also fell in Southern California’s mountains.
Until recently, California had been experiencing significantly dry weather accompanied by wildfires. A band of clouds suggested more rain could fall Tuesday in areas north and south of San Francisco Bay, bringing the threat of possible flash floods and landslides in areas scarred by the fires.
Sacramento-area National Weather Service forecasters predict an abundance of snow in the Sierra Nevada this week that will make travel difficult.
A storm buried northern Arizona in snow on Monday while sending flurries to the outskirts of Las Vegas and Phoenix.
"Scattered to widespread snow is falling across parts of Arizona, Utah and parts of the Southwest as a low-pressure system tracks through the Great Basin," the NWS said Tuesday. The higher elevations will likely have heavy snow with this system, possibly yielding a foot or more of accumulations. Travel through this part of the country may be hazardous."
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Winter weather warnings and advisories remain in effect Tuesday for all states west of Colorado, except Montana and Wyoming.
And most of Nevada was bracing for another series of powerful winter storms that could bring several feet of snow to the mountains above Lake Tahoe by Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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