A strong winter storm struck Colorado and other parts of the central United States on Wednesday, sending hurricane-force winds and heavy snow across the region, meteorologists said.

The fierce winter weather, part of which classified as a “bomb cyclone,” pummeled Denver and other areas in Colorado, and rapidly intensified throughout the day as it pushed east and north, the National Weather Service said.

Heavy rains turned to snow, blizzard conditions and high winds and affected parts of the country from the Central Rockies across the Plains, and from the Mississippi Valley into the upper Great Lakes, including Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota.

In Colorado, Gov. Jared Polis declared a state of emergency, making more resources available to react to the storm. Winds reached a high of 94 miles per hour, and some areas saw up to four feet of snow. Visibility reached near zero, and travel plans were disrupted throughout the state. Schools were closed on Wednesday in Denver, Littleton and several other cities.