A massive winter storm marched across the central U.S. on Tuesday, unloading heavy winds, rain and snow across much of the country, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers, disrupting travel and forcing officials to reschedule Mardi Gras events in New Orleans.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 7 p.m. CT Tuesday for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi that include New Orleans, where tens of thousands are gathering outdoors for the yearly Mardi Gras celebration. Police had already announced shortened parade routes ahead of the harsh weather. Straight-line winds are expected to strengthen in the afternoon and could reach 80 mph.
Tens of millions of people were under severe weather advisories because of the storm, from tornado, thunderstorm and fire-related warnings in the South to blizzard warnings across the northern Plains region.
Meanwhile, forecasters in Minnesota and Nebraska warned of heavy snowfall that could cause whiteout conditions and make travel “treacherous and potentially life-threatening.”
Through the midweek, the low-pressure system is expected to spread as far south as Florida and as far north as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, coming up just short of New York City, which may still be in for some thunderstorms, AccuWeather said.
In all, the storm could impact up to 170 million people across more than 20 states.