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Tuesday is bringing major winter storm conditions, wind warnings and possible tornadoes from the West Coast to the Southeast.
Snow will stretch from the West to Michigan on Tuesday, with more than 2 feet of snow accumulation possible in South Dakota.
Meanwhile, major winds will bring gusts from parts of California to Missouri, with some winds reaching up to 80 mph.
And by Tuesday afternoon, a stretch of the country covering more than a dozen states will be at risk for severe weather and tornadoes. Some of those severe storms are forecast in areas where communities are still recovering from a surge of recent severe weather that led to 32 deaths and dozens of confirmed or suspected tornadoes.
Here’s what you need to know about Tuesday’s weather forecast.
Is a tornado watch or warning worse? What to know about preparing for these violent storms
What defines a blizzard? Heavy snow and high winds expected to sweep across country.
Blizzard conditions, wintry weather stretches from Nevada to Michigan
Blizzard warnings blanketed parts of the West, Plains and Midwest on Tuesday, with more than 2 feet of snow in some places.
A blizzard warning is in effect until 6 p.m. on Tuesday in parts of Nebraska and Wyoming, where total snow accumulations could reach up to 2 feet with winds up to 50 mph. In parts of South Dakota, snow could reach up to 30 inches, and up to 24 inches in the Rapid City area.
Blizzard conditions are also expected in parts of North Dakota on Tuesday, with up to 9 inches of snow expected and winds gusting up to 55 mph.
Snow accumulations could reach up to 19 inches in parts of Minnesota, with winds reaching 50 mph.
The storm is expected to produce wind chills below zero in the northern Plains, which “could be life-threatening to anyone stranded outside,” the National Weather Service warned.
But even in areas where blizzard conditions aren’t likely, snow is in the forecast in a stretch of the country from Nevada to Michigan.
In Michigan, a mix of snow, freezing rain and sleet is expected by Tuesday night. Further south, a flood watch formed a band across the state due to excessive rainfall, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids, Michigan, warned.
Winter storm map
Thunderstorms the Plains, Mississippi Valley
Showers and severe thunderstorms are also expected to develop in the Plains and Mississippi Valley, the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center said. Officials said there’s a moderate risk of severe thunderstorms from Tuesday into Wednesday morning, which could bring “frequent lightning, wind gusts, hail, and a few tornadoes.”
At least 16 states are at risk of severe weather and tornadoes from Tuesday afternoon to Tuesday night, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. That includes all of:
- Arkansas
- Missouri
- Illinois
Parts of:
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Texas
- Oklahoma
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Tennessee
- Kentucky
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan
“That could initially start as isolated supercells with all hazards possible — tornadoes, wind and hail — and then over time typically they form into a line (of thunderstorms) and continue moving eastward,” said Ryan Bunker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
The same conditions that fueled last week’s storms — an area of low pressure combined with strong southerly winds — will make conditions ideal for another round of severe weather Tuesday into early morning Wednesday, Bunker said.
U.S. weather watches and warnings
Winds extend from the West Coast to the Midwest
Strong winds are whipping across the Southwest and Midwest on Tuesday, reaching from parts of California to Missouri.
A high wind warning was in effect Tuesday morning in parts of southern California, including San Luis Obispo County’s mountains and Santa Barbara County’s interior mountains, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph.
A high wind warning is in effect until 9 p.m. on Tuesday in parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, with winds expected to reach up to 80 mph.
A wind advisory is also in effect until Wednesday morning in other parts of Kansas and Missouri, with gusts of up to 50 mph.
The major winds across a swath of the country could blow down trees and power lines, the National Weather Service warned, with power outages expected in more than a half-dozen states.
National weather radar
Contributing: John Bacon, Doyle Rice and Jordan Mendoza; USA TODAY; the Associated Press
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