A major winter storm develops over the U.S. this week, bringing cold, snow, and winds for the north, severe weather outbreaks for the south as tornado season ramps up

Wild weather raged across parts of the nation Tuesday: from a blizzard in the Northern Plains to severe storms that threatened the central U.S.

A combination of heavy snow and strong wind gusts brought blizzard conditions to portions of Montana and North Dakota on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said, thanks to significant blowing and drifting of snow.

Up to 3 feet of snow was possible in some areas before the storm winds down on Wednesday. “Travel will be very difficult to impossible and there is the potential for power outages and tree damage,” the Weather Service said. “Significant impacts to young livestock are also possible.”

The blizzard closed schools, colleges and some government offices in North Dakota on Tuesday.

“This is going to be historic for some areas,” Jason Anglin, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service’s Bismarck office, told the Bismarck Tribune. “It’s going to be tough to travel, the impact to the ranching community is going to be big, even the impact to the power community – there’s going to be a lot of water in this snow; it could bring down trees and bring down power lines.”
Crews closed roads as several inches of snow fell in the Portland area on, Monday, April 11, 2022. Portland received the first measurable snowfall in April in recorded history on Monday.

The snowstorm could reach record levels in some areas, AccuWeather said.

Farther south, another day of severe storms was forecast for a large swath of the central U.S., meteorologists warned, following a stormy Monday.

On Monday, possible tornadoes, hail and high winds stretched across much of Arkansas, causing minor structural damage, flash flooding and power failures, but no injuries were reported, according to weather and emergency officials, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette said.

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Another explosion of severe weather is anticipated from Tuesday afternoon to Tuesday night from eastern Texas and much of Louisiana, northward to southern Minnesota and part of southwestern Wisconsin, AccuWeather said.

The Storm Prediction Center said “scattered severe thunderstorms capable of producing very large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes are expected late this afternoon and tonight across a broad portion of the southern and central Plains into the Mississippi Valley. Some of the tornadoes could be strong.”

The tornado threat will extend into Wednesday, when another widespread area will be at risk of severe storms, all the way from Illinois to Louisiana, including Indianapolis, Nashville, Louisville and St. Louis.

Source: USA TODAY