Major Snowstorm Moves East After Hitting The Great Plains

Blowing and drifting snow continues to be a problem for travelers in the northern Great Plains.

Snow, freezing rain and high winds, which roared through the region on Sunday and Monday, were winding down.

Authorities have issued warnings not to travel for much of North Dakota, where vast stretches of roadways have been closed.

Windy conditions also led to power outages in both North and South Dakota as well as Nebraska. Tens of thousands of homes and businesses are reported to be without power.

High winds in Michigan also knocked out power to thousands of customers.

Forecasters say more harsh weather is moving east into the Great Lakes and New England.

The National Weather Service reports:

The storm is forecast to bring a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain across parts of northern New England overnight, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. "Farther south, rain and a few thunderstorms are possible along and ahead of the cold front from the Ohio valley to the lower Mississippi valley and the Southeast tonight and Tuesday," it said. Even as the storm's grip weakened, authorities in North Dakota, where the front had dumped up to 18 inches (46 cm) of snow, urged travelers in much of the state to stay home because of hazardous conditions.

In North Dakota, whiteout conditions led to the closure of Minot International Airport. Flights were also canceled at other airports in the state.

The website of the Minot Daily News called the storm "A Blizzard To Remember," and alerted readers that delivering the newspaper would present a challenge throughout the week.

Gusty winds were a problem at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Monday. Spokesman Patrick Hogan told the Star Tribune that "operations are pretty much at the mercy of Mother Nature, at least for now."

Officials were forced to close one runway, and planes took off and landed at the other. More than 200 flights had been delayed and more than 50 canceled.

In parts of the South, it was the threat of tornadoes that concerned people.

Unseasonably warm temperatures were raising the risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., reported parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee could see damaging winds and isolated tornadoes.