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US winter storm update: Travel disrupted as warning issued for 14 states; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Wyoming & more on alert
Winter storm warnings and advisories stretching across 14 states have been issued from the Midwest to New England.
A fast-moving winter system has brought heavy snowfall and hazardous travel conditions to large portions of the United States. Winter storm warnings and advisories stretching across 14 states have been issued from the Midwest to New England, according to The Mirror US.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service (NWS) reported, according to The Mirror US, that two separate storm systems combined to produce anywhere from an inch to nearly a foot of snow between Tuesday and early Wednesday, as per local time.
States under advisories included North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Wyoming, Vermont, New Hampshire, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine.
The heaviest snowfall was concentrated over the Midwest, upper Great Lakes and parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
Minnesota was among the hardest hit. Overnight snow led to dangerous road conditions and hundreds of incidents on state highways. Local police documented more than 550 crashes and spinouts, and at least one was fatal, according to The Mirror US. Vergas recorded 9 inches of snow, while North Dakota, Wyoming and Wisconsin saw 11, 9.4 and 7.5 inches respectively.
Travel delays, school disruptions
The severe weather forced dozens of Minnesota school districts to delay opening times.
Winter weather advisories remained in place through Wednesday for several states, including Montana, the Dakotas, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
The NWS typically issues a winter weather advisory when six inches of snow are expected within 12 hours or eight inches within 24, reported The Mirror US, or when significant sleet accumulation is likely.
Forecasts suggest that parts of Upstate New York and northeast Ohio could see up to a foot of snow as the system continues east.
The initial clipper system that hit the Upper Midwest on Tuesday local time, is now moving into the Interior Northeast, according to Newsweek. Minneapolis, Wisconsin, portions of North Dakota and the Great Lakes region all woke up to several inches of snow Wednesday morning.
Another winter storm is right behind it, expected to push into the Midwest by Wednesday night and spread additional snowfall, potentially up to 6 inches, from Iowa to Kentucky on Thursday local time.
