Blizzards, tornadoes possible as powerful storm threatens central US

A blizzard is set to bury much of the plains and upper Midwest in as much as a foot of snow between Sunday and Monday as an unseasonable weather system tracks east across the country. Meanwhile, heavy thunderstorms could bring tornadoes to the Gulf Coast on Monday.

The slow-moving front brought blizzard warnings from South Dakota to Kansas on Monday, meaning possible whiteout conditions and winds up to 55 miles per hour, while winter weather advisories stretched from the Texas Panhandle to the Canadian border in Minnesota.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport broke a daily snowfall record on Sunday of just over 8 inches, while northern parts of the state already broke more than a foot of snow.

Forecasters warned of treacherous road conditions, potential power outages and tree damage due to snowfall. The weather is expected to improve slightly Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

The winter front has tanked temperatures as it has moved east. To the east of the weather front, the temperature is 55 degrees in Chicago, while it is as cold as 25 degrees in the Dakotas.

Tornado warnings also covered much of Louisiana on Monday afternoon, and severe weather was expected to hit Mississippi and Alabama into Tuesday.

The National Weather Service also warned of a heavy rain threat for the mid-Atlantic coast on Wednesday and heavy rain in Southern California and Central Arizona.

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