US winter weather alerts: 5 things to know as series of storms bring heavy snow, wind chills, flood threat

More than 18 million people across the West and Midwest are under winter weather alerts in the United States.

More than 18 million people across the West and Midwest are under winter weather alerts in the United States. This comes as several storms bring heavy snow, wind chills and the threat of flooding, forecasts from the National Weather Service released.

US winter weather alerts: 5 things to know as series of storms bring heavy snow (Unsplash - representational image)

Five things to know about the current weather in the US

• A strong weather service is generating heavy snowfall across the Northern Rockies already. Higher elevations are expected to receive a foot or more through Saturday, according to CBS Meteorologist Andrew Kozak. Snow is forecast to spread into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest with the system shifting eastward, from South Dakota to northwest Illinois, where 4–6 inches and isolated higher totals are expected.
• Chicago is currently under a winter weather advisory, with 2–5 inches likely to create slick roads and sidewalks, as reported by CBS Chicago. After the snow, the cold outbreak could send temperatures plunging below zero across parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota by Sunday night into Monday.
• Meanwhile, another round of snow could hit the metro region and southern Minnesota on Saturday afternoon, CBS Minnesota reported. This will be accompanied by bitter temperatures.
• The National Weather Service projected moderate to heavy snow over parts of the upper and middle Mississippi Valley on Saturday night. Winter storm warnings and advisories are in effect across Colorado too. Mountain regions are expected to see snowfall as a result, CBS Colorado reported.
• The Pacific Northwest, meanwhile, is set to witness a series of incoming Pacific systems beginning late Sunday into Monday. According to Kozak, the region could see widespread heavy rain across western Washington and Oregon. Flash flooding could also be triggered due to saturated soil. While flood watches are in place, forecasters have warned that the heavy rain threat could remain for 5–10 days.