Major Storm Impacts Millions of People with Snow and Rain

Heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions are likely aspects of a major stormpushing onshore in California today. The storm crossing the nation throughWednesday night will create different kinds of weather headaches for millionsof people.The snowstorm will crank up in California to the Intermountain West and theRockies today. Snowfall of 1-2 feet will freshly blanket the Sierra Nevada andeven elevations above 5,000 and 6,000 feet in Southern California. Snow just asheavy will also hit a few areas of Utah, Colorado, northern Arizona andnorthern New Mexico, especially tonight. Heavy snow and strong winds could shutroads through mountain passes.

The snowstorm will explode on Tuesday and Tuesday night over the central GreatPlains. High wind and heavy snow could make for a road-shutting blizzard inNebraska, Iowa and northern Kansas, for instance.

Snow will begin in earnest over the Great Lakes region on Tuesday night and,though Wednesday, highest snowfall could reach 1 foot in Wisconsin andMichigan.

The interior Northeast will likely get mixed wintry precipitation, maybe enoughto cause rough travel, on Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, on the warm side of the storm, rain, storms and the potential forflash flooding will target the Gulf coast on Tuesday. Heavy rain and the threatof flooding will be in store for much of the Tennessee Valley and themid-Atlantic coast.