The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings in six states as "heavy snow" is expected in large regions of the country.
Portions of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho were subjected to the warnings as of Monday night. The forecast looked particularly severe in Colorado, where an NWS map showed stormy weather blanketing most of the state. Several feet of snow was expected in some areas.
NWS warnings were released on Tuesday night for high elevations in Colorado's eastern La Garita Mountains and eastern San Juan Mountains above 10,000 feet until 5 a.m. local time Thursday.
The eastern Sawatch Mountains and western Mosquito Range, above 11,000 feet and 9,000 feet, respectively, in western Chaffee County, were also warned, as up to 34 inches of snowfall is expected.
"Travel could be very difficult to impossible," the NWS warning states. "The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday morning and evening commutes. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches ... If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."
A warning was also set to take effect at 4 a.m. Tuesday for areas above 11,000 feet in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains until Thursday morning, while a similar one was issued for elevations above 10,000 feet in the Wet Mountains from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning.
Denver's NWS station cautioned residents that "a significant winter storm" would hit nearby valleys, southern foothills and Palmer Ridge until Wednesday morning and could "impact holiday travel," saying that "road closures and impassable roads are likely."
Newsweek reached out for comment to NWS via email on Monday night.
The NWS office in Grand Junction, Colorado, issued a slew of further winter storm warnings expected to impact cities including Ridgway, Monticello, Aspen, Vail, Crested Butte, Rio Blanco, Columbine and Telluride, among others, until Wednesday night. Snow of up to 36 inches is possible.
The winter storm warnings issued in California were largely clustered in eastern areas of the state. One issued by the Reno office of the NWS indicated that communities in California and Nevada—including Stateline, Markleeville, Tahoe City, Incline Village, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and Glenbrook—could see snow of up to 2 feet until 4 a.m. Wednesday.
In California's Mono County, a nearly identical warning was in effect until 10 a.m. Wednesday. The cities of Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, Coleville and Lee Vining were expected to be hit with heavy snow and winds that "could cause extensive damage to trees and power lines due to the expected heavy wet nature of the snow."
Elevations of the Sierra Nevada above 7,000 feet, including parts of Yosemite National Park, face a warning until 4 p.m. Wednesday. Snowfall was expected to accumulate up to 5 feet in some places, with higher elevations possibly reaching 7 feet.
California's Eastern Sierra slopes, including the cities of Aspendell and Whitney Portal, could see up to 6 feet of snow until around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Locals were warned that "roof damage is possible due to the weight of heavy snow."
An additional winter storm warning was issued for Northern California's Siskiyou County from Monday night until 4 a.m. Tuesday, affecting the cities of Mount Shasta, McCloud and Dunsmuir. Up to 16 inches of snow and winds of up to 40 mph were predicted.
The NWS office in Cheyenne, Wyoming, issued a winter storm warning covering the Sierra Madre and Snowy mountain ranges, including the cities of Centennial and Albany. Snow of up to 24 inches was expected from midnight Monday until 11 a.m. Wednesday.
In Idaho, a warning was issued for the Bear River Range "including the cities of Emigration Summit," where up to 1 foot of snow was anticipated to fall until 10 a.m. Wednesday. People in the area were warned that "roads will become slick and hazardous, and visibility will be poor at times."
A warning was in effect until 5 p.m. Wednesday for Utah's Wasatch Mountain south of Interstate 80, the western Uinta Mountains and Books Cliffs, including the communities of Scofield, Fish Lake, Mantua, Joes Valley, Indian Canyon, Cove Fort, Logan Summit, Brian Head, Mirror Lake Highway, Alta, Moon Lake, Brighton and Alton. Up to 36 inches of snow was expected in some areas.
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