A storm sweeps the Plains and upper Midwest with heavy snow, freezing rain and strong winds, creating hazardous travel conditions.
(CNN) — A gentleman blizzard fueling winter storm sweeps the Plains and upper Midwest with heavy snow, freezing rain and strong winds, creating hazardous travel conditions during the busy holiday week.
Blizzards with wind gusts of up to 75 mph on Tuesday could bring down trees and power lines and cause whiteout conditions that make travel “difficult to near impossible.” National Weather Service he said. snow storms occurs when snow and strong winds combine for at least three hours and reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less.
“Extensive travel disruptions are possible across the region,” the weather service warned, adding that the storm would continue to affect much of the north-central US through Tuesday.
Parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming are under blizzard warnings Tuesday.
Residents were warned to avoid travel, but if they must be on the road, to bring survival kits and stay in their vehicles in case they get stuck.
The storm hit parts of the region Monday, and driving conditions “deteriorated rapidly across the state,” the Nebraska State Department of Transportation said that day.
Cars collided and skidded off roads Monday in Nebraska, where tractor-trailers were jackknifed and stuck on eastbound Interstate 80 near York in the morning and early afternoon. Nebraska State Patrol he said.
The heaviest snowfall occurred Monday across the Dakota border, extending north along portions of I-94. While the snowfall was beginning to taper off on I-90 Monday afternoon, visibility was dropping as snow continued to blow over the roadway.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol responded to several crashes in Watertown as ice and snow covered the roads.
“Please slow down, do not use cruise control and always wear your seat belt. Snow plows are out, please give them room to work,” the South Dakota Highway Patrol urged residents.
Snowfall of 1-2 inches per hour was possible in some areas, the weather service he said Monday afternoon. More than 12 inches will likely have fallen from south-central South Dakota to northern Nebraska by the end of the storm, according to weather service.
In parts of the northern Plains, a combination of snow and freezing rain could cause scattered power outages and create dangerously icy roads and sidewalks, forecasters said.
The storm will gradually weaken by Tuesday night, but a “wintry mix is likely to persist into Wednesday” across parts of the northern Plains and upper Midwest, the weather service said.
The-CNN-Wire
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