US braces for major storm, 16 states under winter weather alerts

Last week marked the first official day of spring, however, millions of Americans are still feeling winter weather as the U.S. braces for a major snowstorm to sweep across the country.

On Sunday, 16 states from California to Michigan were under winter alerts as the next big storm will be dropping heavy snow and causing travel delays through Tuesday.

Winter alerts currently stretch from Montana to Michigan, spanning a distance of nearly 1,400 miles.

From northwest Kansas to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, 6 to 12 inches of snow is predicted with some locations facing up to 2 feet of heavy snow.

Blizzard warnings are now posted from eastern Colorado to South Dakota. Winds gusting as high as 60 mph will create intermittent whiteout conditions from Sunday through Tuesday morning.

While snowstorms in the central U.S. aren’t rare for this time of year, much of the area affected hasn’t had much winter weather in the past few months.

Minnesota and Wisconsin are fresh off their warmest winter on record, with snowfall less than half of normal in cities like Minneapolis.

On the southern tier of this storm, the clash of cold and warm air, among other factors, will contribute to a potential multi-day severe weather outbreak from the Southern Plains into the Deep South.

Today, thunderstorms moving across Kansas and Oklahoma will bring the threat of damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes.

Late tonight into early Monday morning, the concern for strong to severe storms moves into Texas, and eventually into Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi during the day on Monday.

These storms will also bring very heavy rainfall, so flash flooding will be a concern in the South.

In the northeast, heavy rainfall drenched cities from Baltimore to Boston, bringing 2 to 4 inches of rain over the weekend.

Northern New England also saw hefty snow totals, with Albany, New Hampshire, being hit with 28 inches of snow. Vermont and Maine experienced over two feet of snow.