Another storm system was affecting millions of people in the middle of the U.S. on Wednesday, 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, 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 from the south to produce strong, low-pressure systems, Jackson said. But he added that the latest weather was 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.
At least 42 people died over the weekend when dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires, uprooting trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across eight states in the South and Midwest.
A band from southwestern Kansas to central Wisconsin was expected to bring as little as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow or as much as 1 foot (30 cm). Combined with high winds, forecasters warned of whiteout conditions.
The Kansas Department of Transportation closed more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) of Interstate 70 from the Colorado border east to Salina, Kansas.
