The Mississippi River Valley will be swamped by tornadoes through the weekend – and with an additional 5 inches of rain over the next few days

Though the storm is walloping some areas with severe weather, it’s forecast to track across drought-stricken areas, bringing much needed relief – including to the Mississippi River Valley area, where excessive rainfall is possible Wednesday.

The storm is expected to move into the Northeastern and central Appalachians as well as the upper Midwest, with ice, rain and snow. A winter storm watch was issued by the National Weather Service for areas from West Virginia to Vermont, where they said there was a chance of a significant mix of snow, ice and sleet.

Up to 3 inches of rain may fall in most coastal communities over the weekend, and as much as 5 inches of rain may fall in areas of northern and central California. Coastal erosion and flooded roadways will be the main concerns.

There will be a risk of winds gusts of up to 40 mph in the valleys, 50 mph in coastal areas and perhaps even higher gusts for exposed coastal headlands, mountaintops, and ridges.

Widespread snow accumulations across the northern Plains and Midwest will be 4 to 8 inches, and some locations could pick up in excess of one foot through Friday of next week.

The NWS says low visibility will cause more dangerous travel conditions on snow covered roads. The strong winds could cause power problems from the Midwest to the Northeast.

MatthewElliott, a weatherman at the Storm Prediction center, told CNN that tornadoes in December are relatively uncommon, but they are more likely in the fall and winter in the Southeast and Lower Mississippi Valley.

Tuesday also brings a risk of flash flooding due to excessive rainfall “from far east Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley,” warns the Weather Prediction Center. Up to 4 inches of rain could fall.

“The details regarding the areas most at risk from tornadoes will become clearer as the event approaches and smaller-scale trends become more evident,” Elliott said.

7.5 Foot Snowfall in Soda Springs, Calif., during the November 1st Snow Event and the Fifth Snowfall on Olympic Valley, California,

Soda Springs received 60 inches of snow in 48 hours when the storm blanketed parts of California with thick snow.

Winter storm warnings were in place overnight for the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, where an additional foot of snow could fall in the highest elevations before 4 a.m.

The Department of Transportation in South Dakota said there was a 200mile stretch of I-90 closed Tuesday morning due to high winds, freezing rain and heavy snow. Interstate 29 was also expected to close and secondary highways will likely become “impassable,” the department said.

“The snowpack is about 225% of normal, so it’s more than twice what we’d be expecting this time in December,” said Mark Deutschendorf, forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Reno.

It looks like Christmas out here, according toDeutschendorf. “It didn’t come with a lot of wind, and it stuck to everything. It is like a picture postcard.

The snow totals so far have been impressive, butDeutschendorf is cautiously optimistic that this precipitation will be beneficial to the state.

The ski resort in Olympic Valley, California shared on their website photos of thick snow covering the ski resort.

This is definitely a storm to remember. We’ve now received 7.5 feet of snow since December 1st. The resort received 35 inches of snow in a 24 hours, making it the 6th largest snowfall on record.

Rapid City, South Dakota, a tornado warning as it passes through the Twin Cities and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday morning

The National Weather Service office in Rapid City, South Dakota, said travel through the area will be nearly impossible Tuesday and Wednesday, and possibly into Thursday.

In Minnesota, the weather service in the Twin Cities implored residents to be cautious of the “potentially dangerous week of weather,” with the worst of the effects in the Midwest beginning Wednesday.

In Anchorage, Alaska, an “unprecedented amount of snowfall” has led to schools being closed for four days and shut down the University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University on Monday.

These areas have seen a great relief to the dryness of the weather in the last week. Tennessee, for example, went from 96% of the state under drought to being at 46% this week.

The tornado did not cause any deaths or injuries, according to the sheriff’s captain. It was clear from the beginning that the damage in the town of Wayne was widespread.

The tornado had a wind speed of more than 200 mph, according to the National Weather Service. It is believed that it was on the ground for about two to four minutes.

In Texas, at least two tornadoes were spotted along the front edge of the storm as it headed toward the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area Tuesday morning, though the extent of any damage was not immediately known.

Snow and ice in the Ogallala, South Dakota, tornadoes that hit Pecan Farms and other rural areas on Tuesday afternoon

“There’s essentially no one traveling right now,” said Justin McCallum, a manager at the Flying J truck stop at Ogallala, Nebraska. He wasn’t able to return to his home on Tuesday because the roads were closed. I can see to the first pole, but not the rest of the lot. I’ll probably get a motel room tonight.

This is a “We are not kidding” kind of storm according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. People were told to stay at home.

“It will be a busy week while this system moves across the country,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s headquarters in Maryland.

In northern Utah, a tour bus crashed Monday morning as snow and frigid temperatures blanketed the region. The bus flipped onto its side in Tremonton after the driver lost control, the Highway Patrol said in a statement. The Highway Patrol said 23 passengers were injured, including some seriously.

The prospects were not better for those traveling by air. More than 2,100 flights were canceled and 6000 were delayed across the United States by late afternoon Thursday.

A young boy was found dead in a wooded area of Pecan Farms where his home was destroyed Tuesday after a tornado hit Four Forts, Louisiana, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Shreveport, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator said in a statement.

A possible tornado blew the roof off the city’s service center — a municipal facility — and left pieces of the roof hanging from powerlines, said Trent Kelley, deputy director of Grapevine Parks and Recreation.

Photos sent to the city showed fallen trees, damaged buildings, and a semitrailer that looked to have been thrown around a parking lot.

In Colorado, all roads were closed in the northeast section. The severe weather in the ranching region could also threaten livestock. Extreme winds can push livestock through fences as they follow the gale’s direction, said Jim Santomaso, a northeast representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.

In parts of central Minnesota, a few inches of snow and high winds are expected on Wednesday. A blizzard is defined as having winds of at least 35 mph along with falling or blowing snow which reduces visibility to a quarter-mile or less, for at least three hours.

Plus, major cities, including New York and Boston, can expect 1 to 2 inches of heavy rain from the nor’easter into the weekend before the storm system pulls away from the region Sunday,

Millions in the Northeast are under a winter weather alert Friday due to the massive storm, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told residents of the hazardous road conditions the storm is threatening to bring.

Hochul urged everyone in the affected areas to avoid unnecessary travel tomorrow and tonight. Make sure to stay off the roads, and work from home if you can.

In anticipation of what will be a week of travel nightmares, at least six airlines have issued travel waivers for dozens of airports from the South to the Northeast in order to make air travel safer in the event of snow and low visibility.

The storm system has cut a dangerous path across the country, bringing varying amounts of weather to different parts of the US.

In Louisiana, tornadoes killed three people and flattened many homes. Blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest brought piles of snow and fierce winds that tore down power lines, leaving tens of thousands in the dark in freezing temperatures the week before Christmas.

Parts of the Mid-Atlantic were hit by a quarter of an inch of ice, and a tenth of an inch was built up in parts of Virginia.

Many people were left without heat in the Upper Midwest because of the strong winds that knocked down power lines.

The 2021 Texas Winter Storm and Forecasts for Illinois, Wisconsin, and Amarillo, Texas, Are Taking a toll on Family and loved ones

According to local officials, a mother and her son were killed in Louisiana on Tuesday when a tornado destroyed their home.

For millions of Americans across a large swath of the country, the holiday week begins with brutally cold temperatures made even worse by heavy snow expected in several central and northwestern states.

It’s touching nearly every state. There is currently a winter, wind chill, freeze, coastal, or wind alert in 44 of the lower forty-eight states.

A place that will escape the snow won’t be able to escape the cold. Areas from eastern Montana through the Dakotas will experience the coldest air beginning Thursday morning. There are wind chills of 50 to 60 degrees below zero and will fall even further after dark on Wednesday.

The NWS warns of frostbite as one of the risk factors for those braving the cold. It can take as little as 10 minutes for a body of skin to become cold from the sub-zero temperatures this week.

Snowfall has already begun in Seattle, which is under a winter storm warning Tuesday. The storm will move east into portions of Idaho Tuesday morning and then spread out across northern and central Montana later in the afternoon.

“The bottom line is travel will be very dangerous and could be LIFE-THREATENING later this week so be prepared to alter travel plans now!” The office of the local weather service.

Chicago is forecast to be one of the hardest hit cities, where a winter storm watch is in effect starting Thursday night through Friday evening. travel could grind to a halt for many people who are trying to celebrate with family and loved ones

In Texas, where a 2021 winter storm overwhelmed the state’s power grid and ultimately killed more than 200 people, officials said they expected the grid would hold up as forecasts called for cold weather but little precipitation.

However, water pipes will be at risk of bursting, the weather service said. A wind chill watch for Amarillo, Texas, is in effect from Wednesday night through Friday afternoon.

Cold weather and gale force winds will make outdoor pipes at risk, the weather service said. “Make sure to cover pipes and let faucets drip!”

The latest bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS) names the cause as a “strong arctic high pressure system,” which swept down from Canada on Tuesday and appears poised to march towards the Southeast on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving a wake of life-threatening weather systems across 17 states.

The cold front has moved quickly and there is a record low temperature in the Rockies. On Wednesday night in Cheyenne, Wyo., the temperature dropped more than 30 degrees in just nine minutes.

Air travel was unaffected by the approaching polar front, with over 500 delays and over 300 cancelled flights across the country, according to the tracking site Flight Aware.

Efforts to bring extra workers into New England ahead of this week’s storms were slowed by slick roads, according to the Associated Press.

The Denver X-ray Extremely Low Temperature Snowfall Event Resulting from a 24 Degree Drop in Temperature Over One Hour

Those venturing outside are advised to cover their skin, dress in layers and change into dry clothing as soon as possible. Staying indoors is the best prevention, experts say.

Denver saw a 24 degree drop in temperature in just seven minutes Wednesday afternoon. The National Weather Service in Boulder has verified that the drop in temperature over one hour at the Denver International Airport is the biggest ever recorded.

“Whiteout conditions are expected during that time with travel becoming very difficult or impossible,” said the weather service. “This event could be life-threatening if you are stranded with wind chills in the 30 below to 45 below zero range.”

“Overall, concern continues to increase in the quick development of dangerous conditions Thursday afternoon with potentially significant impacts to the evening peak travel window,” warned the weather service office in Chicago.

The temperature in Florida will fall on Friday, even more so than in other states. It is projected that major cities in the South will see snow Thursday.

As the storm moves into the Great Lakes it will reach the pressure equivalent of a Category 3 Hurricane.

The weather service is estimating the storm’s pressure will be equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane as it reaches the Great Lakes.

High temperatures and wind chills can lead to roads slippery, muddy roads, and slick spots on roads, according to the Georgia and Kentucky governors

“This is a case in which snow totals may not tell the whole story. Even small snow amounts, when combined with very strong wind gusts and plummeting temperatures, can cause poor visibility and slick spots on roads. The weather service explained that the sudden arrival of these conditions can increase the danger.

Between Friday and Monday, Jackson and Solihull will be spending 80 hours below freezing. Houston could sit below freezing for 46 hours between Thursday and Saturday.

By sunrise, the temperature is expected to be around 10 degrees below zero and gusty north winds will create a wind chill of around minus 25. The high-temperature tomorrow will likely not make it above zero degrees.

Georgia Gov. Kemp said that communities across the state are going to see temperatures that have not been seen in a decade or more.

The declaration will help ensure that propane can be delivered for both residential and commercial needs, the governor told reporters.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency, with wind gusts expected to reach 40 to 50 mph on Friday and minus 10 to minus 26 degrees wind chills expected on Saturday. Beshear asked people to stay off roads and to have a backup heat source.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also declared states of emergency Wednesday, and Maryland activated emergency response operations ahead of the winter storm.

Very Serendipitous Winter Weather Alert: Snow, Liquid Deicer, and Streetcars on the Way’s Main Highways

The Wyoming Highway Patrol said that it got over 800 calls for service in one day because of the lack of visibility on the roads.

More than 100 cars were stuck in South Dakota under low visibility on snow-covered highways on Wednesday night.

“This is really a very serious weather alert here,” said President Biden, speaking to reporters Thursday morning in front of a national map of wind chill forecasts. This is not the same as a snow day when you were a kid. This is very serious.

“The grid is ready and reliable,” said Peter Lake, chairman of the state’s Public Utility Commission, in a Wednesday news conference. We have enough generation to meet demand during the winter weather event.

City officials stressed that crews were working around the clock to keep flights moving at the city’s major airports, O’Hare and Midway, both of which serve as hubs for major airlines.

“These hard-working individuals will have at their disposal more than 350 pieces of snow removal equipment, more than 400,000 gallons of liquid deicer for runways and taxiways, and more than 5,000 tons of salt,” said Andrew Velasquez, the city’s deputy aviation commissioner.

Several area shelters had added beds this week; still, many reported being at or near capacity. Instead, some people sought shelter on the city’s streetcar, which was operating Thursday after crews had worked from 4 a.m. to clear the route and platforms.

The library is closed. Pete, who did not give his last name to KCUR, said that he would likely get kicked out of his house if he went into a parking garage. You don’t have much you can do.

Montana cattle rancher and host rancher Hank Willemsma in the midst of a cold, dilatonic winter

“Even though this is kind of a worse winter than we’ve seen in the last few years, it’s nothing new to Montana. We’ve been running cattle for a long time, so we kind of know how to get through stuff like this,” Willemsma said.

Hank Willemsma, a rancher near Dillon, where Thursday’s high temperature was expected to reach minus 13 degrees, said he’d be working through the cold to keep hay out for his cattle.

Additional reporting by NPR’s David Schaper in Chicago, Montana Public Radio’s John Hooks in Butte, KCUR’s Savannah Hawley-Bates in Kansas City and NPR’s Ivy Winfrey in Washington, D.C.