OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Another storm system is affecting millions of people in the middle of the U.S., leaving parts of the Midwest and Great Plains under blizzard conditions and a broad swath of neighboring states at risk of high winds and wildfires.
Roughly 72 million people were under a wind advisory or warning Wednesday, with winds gusting over 45 mph (72 kph), according to Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.
At this time of year, cold air lingering in the north collides with warm air coming in from the south to produce strong, low pressure systems, Jackson said. But Wednesday's weather is the third storm system to rapidly develop in recent weeks and bring high winds to a large swath of the U.S., a “very active pattern" since February, Jackson said.
At least 42 people died over the weekend when dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires — leaving behind uprooted trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across eight U.S. states in the South and Midwest.
Snow for some
A band from southwestern Kansas up to central Wisconsin was expected to see as little as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow or as much as 1 foot (30 cm) Wednesday. Combined with high winds, forecasters warned of whiteout conditions.
The Kansas Department of Transportation closed more than 250 miles (402 kilometers) of Interstate 70 from the Colorado border east to Salina, Kansas, because of winter weather.
The first stretch to close in western Kansas was also impacted by last week's high winds. Eight people died after a dust storm resulted in a pileup of 71 cars and trucks.
Blizzard conditions early Wednesday led to near-zero visibility in south central Nebraska, the state patrol said in a Facebook post urging people to stay off the roads. More than 160 miles (257 km) of Interstate 80 cutting east from Lincoln west to Lexington was closed Wednesday morning. By midday, nearly 70 miles (113 km) of Interstate 29 running along the border between eastern Nebraska and western Iowa had closed. Stalled cars, jackknifed semi-trailers, crashes and downed power lines contributed to road closures throughout the area.
Power outages affected households and businesses as heavy snow and high winds knocked down tree branches and snapped utility poles, affecting at least 100,000 customers in Nebraska and 30,000 in Iowa.
The sudden storm left many in the region with weather whiplash, following a springlike Tuesday with temperatures in some parts reaching beyond 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius).
High winds and risk of fires
Where it's not snowing, there are still very strong winds. Gusts combined with dry conditions from Texas and Oklahoma up through Arkansas and central Missouri bring the potential for wildfires.
"Before plants are growing,” Jackson said, “there's a lot of dry fuel out there.”
The fire threat ramped up Tuesday and persisted Wednesday in the region, with renewed risk in parts of Oklahoma still reeling from an outbreak of wildfires that started Friday. More than 400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed, and at least four people died due to the fires or high winds, officials said.
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported Wednesday that they responded to 14 new wildfires Tuesday that burned 18,518 acres across Texas.
One fire near Borger, Texas, in the state's panhandle cut power, led to evacuations and threatened 1,201 homes late Tuesday, according to the city's post on Facebook.
“Through quick response and collaborative effort from many departments around our region, the fire remained outside of the City limits, and we did not lose any of those 1201 homes,” the city said Wednesday.
As of early afternoon Wednesday, that fire, originally spanning 350 acres, was an estimated 500 acres and 50% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Crews were also responding to several fires in Arkansas, where winds posed additional risk. Traffic shut down in both directions on a portion of Interstate 530 southeast of Little Rock because of smoke from a grass fire.
Massive walls of dust that forced highway closures and resulted in power outages across New Mexico on Tuesday had blown through by Wednesday, but forecasters warned that wind speeds will pick up and relative humidity levels will drop, making way for critical fire weather conditions on Thursday.
Fighting 50 mph wind gusts, crews worked Wednesday to build fire lines and mop up to keep one blaze near the small community of Mayhill, New Mexico, from growing.
Tornadoes possible
The potential for severe thunderstorms plagued central Illinois Wednesday afternoon with risks of hail, strong wind and tornadoes. Much of Illinois and Indiana were forecasted to be under slight risk, with lower risk further south through the Tennessee Valley.
Looking ahead — and eastward
Jackson said the storm affecting much of the U.S. Wednesday will send a cold front across the eastern seaboard later Thursday, bringing a renewed low pressure system with the potential to dump heavier snowfall in higher elevation parts of New England.
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Fingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa. John Hanna contributed from Topeka, Kansas, and Andrew DeMillo contributed from Little Rock, Arkansas.
Hannah Fingerhut And Margery A. Beck, The Associated Press
