Drivers were urged not to travel unless absolutely necessary on Monday as a vast storm system dumped inches of snow across the country and was set to cause “ferocious blizzard conditions” throughout Monday into Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
The weather service said in an advisory early Monday that up to 2 inches of snow per hour could land in the central and southern Plains Monday night into Tuesday, with the snowstorm advancing into the Midwest.
A foot of snow had already landed in Massachusetts by Sunday afternoon, leaving 13,000 homes in the state without power. That number had dropped to 5,600 by Monday morning.
Snow and hazardous conditions are also expected in the interior Northeast throughout Tuesday, while a blizzard is expected in the Plains of northeast New Mexico, eastern Colorado, the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles, western Kansas and southwest Nebraska.
“Wind gusts as high as 60-70 mph will create ferocious blizzard conditions with whiteouts. Travel will become extremely dangerous to impossible. If you must travel, pack a winter survival kit as wind chills will plummet below zero,” the weather service said.
Elsewhere, the weather service warned of a high risk of severe thunderstorms across the central Gulf Coast Monday night into Tuesday, with very strong winds, possible tornadoes and the risk of significant flash flooding into Wednesday also potentially affecting much of the East Coast.
A girl was pinned by a tree that toppled over at a popular flea market in Fairfax, California, due to strong winds Sunday, NBC Los Angeles reported. She was later treated at a hospital, according to the news station. Her condition was not immediately available Monday morning.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Sunday that the Texas Division of Emergency Management had raised its level of preparedness.
“The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all available resources to take care of Texans and our communities as multiple severe weather threats begin to impact the state tomorrow,” he said in a statement.
New York has already been hit with what Gov. Kathy Hochul called a “classic nor’easter” over the weekend, a storm that dumped a foot of snow and caused a severe flooding risk.
Winter 2024 has arrived with a classic nor’easter we’ve seen many times before, & our crews have been working around the clock to keep us safe.
A winter storm warning remains in effect until 7 PM, so please continue to exercise caution, monitor local forecasts, & limit travel.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) January 7, 2024
“We have seen snow accumulations across the State and with more on the way we are keeping a close eye on potential impacts throughout the day — I urge New Yorkers to stay vigilant and practice caution, especially if you need to travel,” she said in a statement Sunday.
On the West Coast, two powerful winter storm systems are due to pass over the Pacific Northwest on Monday night, bringing several feet of snow and blizzard conditions. More than a foot of snow is likely for higher parts of the Northern Rockies on Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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