Millions of Americans are bracing for the impact of dangerous weather this weekend. Three areas of the country are expected to get heavy snowfall through Monday night: the California mountains, the Upper Midwest and the Northeast, the National Weather Service said.
Rain and thunderstorms are expected in the Lower Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio Valleys, the National Weather Service said.
It warned travel could become impossible in some places.
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“High winds are expected, and Blizzard Warnings are in effect for parts of the Northern/Central Plains,” the service said. “Dangerous conditions will make travel almost impossible. High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are in effect for the Central/Southern Plains, south of the snow impacts.”
Whiteout driving conditions were treacherous north of Minneapolis. And similar scenes are likely to play out for millions of others as the storm moves east with heavy snow, strong winds and areas of wintry mix.
As of Saturday morning, 70 million people were impacted by winter storm and wind alerts, according to meteorologist Jeff Berardelli.
One storm-related death has been reported in South Dakota.
Roads were closed Saturday across eastern and southern Wyoming due to whiteout conditions. The National Weather Service in Wyoming reported 4 inches of snow fell in Cheyenne from 7 p.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Saturday on top of a foot of snow that fell before Thanksgiving. Wind gusts up to 50 mph created ground blizzards.
National Weather Service Meteorologist Andrew Lyons said a wind gust of 77 mph was reported in the mountains between Cheyenne and Laramie. All roads in and out of Casper were closed Saturday morning, including the entire 300 mile stretch of Interstate 25 in Wyoming.
Farther east, blizzard conditions Saturday are buffeting the High Plains and around Duluth.
Meanwhile, a search was continuing in Arizona Saturday for three young children who disappeared when the motorhome in which their family was traveling in was swept away by floodwaters 90 miles northeast of Phoenix.
