Los Angeles United States.- A winter storm sweeping across the western United States into the northern Plains and Midwest could deliver blizzards, brutal cold and record snowfall, making roads treacherous and disrupting air travel.
Gusty winds, combined with snow and rain, forced the closure of a long stretch of the interstate highway in the southwest.
Offices closed, as did the Minnesota Legislature. South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem closed state executive branch offices in various parts of the state and employees were working remotely.
In Wyoming, virtually all roads were affected and many were closed. Authorities warned that they can remain like this for days.
The National Weather Service has issued winter storm, blizzard and high wind advisories for much of the western and north-central United States. Up to 24 inches of snow and winds of up to 60 mph were expected in some places through Thursday.
Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights in the United States on Wednesday as a severe winter storm made its way through western and central states.
A total of 1,035 flights within, to or from the United States were cancelled, according to flight tracking site FlightAware, which showed 932 flights were delayed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said severe weather could cause flight delays or cancellations this week in Minnesota and other states in the Great Lakes and southern plains.
The Los Angeles National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the mountains of Ventura County and the mountains of Los Angeles County through early Friday morning.
Los Angeles forecasters described the storm hitting that region as cold and dangerous and forecast up to 2 meters of snow in some areas.
“This is shaping up to be a very unusual event in certain places, especially, and the impacts will probably be really substantial,” Daniel Swain, a UCLA climate scientist, said in a video Tuesday.
Swain added that the weather will intensify Thursday and Friday as cooler air moves over the state. Low-elevation snow is expected “from the Oregon border to the Mexico border,” forecasting that many Californians will be able to see snow on nearby foothills Friday morning.
