A powerful storm affecting the United States from coast to coast brings heavy snow, strong winds, and ice starting this Wednesday, placing more than two dozen states under weather alerts as travel conditions begin to deteriorate in some areas.
More than 65 million people in 29 states, from the far west of California to Minnesota and Maine, are under alert. But the Midwest is expected to bear the brunt of the storm. Areas of Minneapolis and Minnesota could see over 20 inches of snow on Wednesday and more than 2 feet in the coming days.
But this storm is more than just snow. An ice storm warning is in effect from a stretch of Iowa to Michigan; a threat of severe weather and strong winds is possible from Oklahoma to Missouri; and flooding caused by heavy rains is likely in parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
More than 5 million people are under ice storm warnings in northeast Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northwest Illinois, and southern Michigan. And over 2 million are under blizzard warnings in parts of Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Dakotas.
More than 1,300 flights scheduled for Wednesday have been canceled, according to tracking site FlightAware, mainly in Minneapolis, Denver, and Detroit.
Heat in the South
Meanwhile, the Southeast may record record heat in February, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s – a stark contrast to the freezing conditions in the northern part of the country.