High winds in more than a dozen states; snow expected in Midwest, Northeast: Thursday weather updates

Marina Pitofsky and Wyatte Grantham-Philips, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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Winds on Thursday are expected to barrel across a stretch of the country from Arkansas to New York, while snow and ice could hit parts of the Midwest and Northeast.

A wind advisory is in effect for parts of more than a dozen states from Arkansas to New York on Thursday, with the gusts likely prompting power outages, the National Weather Service warned. A high wind warning was also in effect in parts of Indiana, Ohio and New York, with gusts of up to 60 miles per hour expected.

And snow and ice were expected in New York and Vermont, Maine and other parts of New England, with snow totals potentially reaching six inches in some areas and making roads dangerous. Parts of the Midwest from Missouri to northern Michigan were also under winter weather advisories and warnings.

More than 50 million people were under wind advisories and high wind warnings across the country as of 6:50 a.m. ET Thursday, NWS said. Over 7 million people were under winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings.

Here’s what you need to know about Thursday’s weather.

Freezing fog, snow in Midwest causes hazardous conditions

The winter storm caused icy roads and near-zero visibility Thursday morning in the Midwest. Hazardous conditions led to multiple crashes and road closures.

According to AccuWeather, several inches of snow that fell across the Midwest Wednesday and Thursday created dangerous travel conditions.

A freezing fog advisory was issued Thursday morning in portions of central and southern Oklahoma. According to the weather service in Norman, there were multiple reports of car accidents Thursday morning in central Oklahoma.

Missouri and Iowa also saw snow-covered roads, prompting road closures. Iowa’s Dubuque Regional Airport saw nine inches of snow Thursday, the weather service said.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation said winter weather conditions in Laramie County created near-zero visibility on a highway. Troops attempted to assist stranded motorists but ran into “big drifts,” the department added.

Winds to sweep from Arkanas to New York

A wind advisory was in effect for states in the South, Midwest and parts of the Northeast Thursday morning, with gusts of up to 55 mph possible in some places. Smaller regions of the Southwest and central U.S. also saw wind advisories on Thursday.

The advisories extend through different times in different states.

The gusts were expected to blow down tree limbs and potentially cause power outages, the National Weather Service in Memphis, Tennessee, warned.

States impacted on Thursday include:

  • Alabama

  • Arkansas

  • Indiana

  • Illinois

  • Kentucky

  • Michigan

  • Minnesota

  • Mississippi

  • Missouri

  • Nebraska

  • New York

  • Ohio

  • Pennsylvania

  • South Dakota

  • Tennessee

  • West Virginia

Winter weather advisories hit New York, New England

A winter weather advisory was in effect Thursday in parts of the Northeast and Midwest.

Snow accumulations were expected to reach up to one inch, with ice accumulations around one tenth of an inch in parts of New York and Vermont, according to the National Weather Service in Burlington, Vermont.

But in eastern and northern Maine, snow accumulations could reach up to six inches, the weather service said, warning that roads could be treacherous on Thursday and drivers might struggle with limited visibility.

Parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado were also under winter weather advisories and warnings Thursday morning.

Winter storm tracker

National weather radar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Snow forecast for New England; wind gusts in Midwest, South: Weather