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Weather alerts for 49 states as huge storms bring snow and cold

More than 140 million Americans are advised to be prepared for power outages, as millions of others deal with flooding or blizzards.
Massive storms prompt weather alerts for 49 states
Posted at 8:26 AM, Jan 08, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-08 22:43:01-05

Unless you live in North Dakota, your state's residents will encounter adverse weather over the next few days. 

Several massive storm systems are sweeping the U.S., leaving behind blizzard conditions for some, severe flooding for others and damaging winds for many. 

Two different regions of the U.S. have blizzard warnings. Parts of the Pacific Northwest are under a blizzard warning as the National Weather Service predicts that parts of the Cascades will get several feet of snow. 

The snow is expected to begin falling quickly in Washington and Oregon. Those at elevations above 5,000 feet will first see the snow. As conditions cool, those at elevations above 1,500 feet could see significant snow. 

As much as 12 inches of snow could fall across a swath of the country from southeastern Colorado to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, forecasters said.

Whiteout conditions were already closing stretches of interstate in Nebraska and Kansas on Monday. Much of Nebraska and Kansas canceled schools for the day.

The National Weather Service office in Des Moines, Iowa warned of as much as 15 inches of snow falling from Monday to Tuesday.

Officials across the affected region forecast delays and slow travel as a result of the storm, and warned drivers to take it slow if they had to go out at all.

Southeastern Louisiana and Mississippi saw tornado watches Monday, while New York’s governor warned that rain and wind could cause power outages and flooding.

The weather is also snarling campaign plans as the Iowa Caucuses kick off the 2024 presidential election.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign canceled scheduled events with Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who were going to campaign on Trump's behalf on Monday, because weather delayed their flight from Arkansas.

SEE MORE: Cold in Iowa previews what's expected to be a chilly caucus night

Meanwhile, a blizzard warning is in place for parts of six states from northeast New Mexico to southern Nebraska. The National Weather Service warned those regions could experience heavy bursts of snow dropping up to 2 inches per hour. Those areas could also experience winds gusting to 70 mph. The combination of heavy snow and gusty winds could make travel nearly impossible, forecasters said. 

The National Weather Service said the unsettled weather could cause power outages for the eastern Gulf Coast, Central Appalachians, much of the East Coast and New England. As of Monday morning, nearly 140 million Americans were under a wind advisory, high wind watch or high wind warning. 

There are also 62 million Americans under a flood watch as of Monday. The National Weather Service issued the watches for much of the Northeast, including Philadelphia, New York and Boston. The National Weather Service projects much of the area will get 2-3 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts. 


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