Winter is arriving suddenly for several central U.S. states, as a fast-moving storm moves east from Colorado, forecasters said Wednesday. Nearly 60 million Americans could face severe weather conditions, threatening an area from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes with heavy snow, strong winds, thunderstorms, and possibly tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma. Blizzard warnings have been issued for parts of Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas starting early Wednesday and stretching into the afternoon and evening. Winds are expected to be about 50 to 65 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts of up to 90 to 100 kph in some areas. Noting the likelihood for blizzard conditions, the National Weather Service (NWS) is urging people to stay home. "It's definitely a chance of severe weather, a severe weather risk ... worth paying attention to," said meteorologist Jared Guyer. On Tuesday, wet, heavy snow hit Nevada as the storm moved eastward, knocking out electricity and forcing schools to close in Reno. As the southern part of the storm moves east, it may encounter warmer humid air, producing the threat of thunderstorms and possibly tornadoes in Iowa and northern Missouri, the NWS said. Severe thunderstorms also are expected as the storm moves into northern and central Illinois. 20:54 LOCAL TIME 17:54 GMT تغريد
