At this time of year, cold air lingering in the north collides with warm air from the south to produce strong, low pressure systems, Jackson said. But he added that the latest weather was the third storm system to rapidly develop in recent weeks and bring high winds to a large swath of the U.S., a "very active pattern" since February.
At least 42 people died over the weekend when dynamic storms unleashed tornadoes, blinding dust and wildfires, uprooting trees and flattening hundreds of homes and businesses across eight states in the South and Midwest.
Snow for some
A band from southwestern Kansas to central Wisconsin was expected to bring as little as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow or as much as 1 foot (30 cm). Combined with high winds, forecasters warned of whiteout conditions.
The Kansas Department of Transportation closed more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) of Interstate 70 from the Colorado border east to Salina, Kansas.
The first stretch to close in western Kansas was also impacted by last week's high winds. Eight people died after a dust storm resulted in a pileup of 71 cars and trucks.
Blizzard conditions early Wednesday led to near-zero visibility in south-central Nebraska, the state patrol said via Facebook, urging people to stay off the roads. There were road closures of more than 160 miles (255 km) of I-80 from Lincoln to Lexington and nearly 70 miles (115 km) of I-29 along the Nebraska-Iowa border. Stalled cars, jackknifed semitrailers, crashes and downed power lines contributed to the chaos.
Heavy snow and high winds knocked down tree branches and snapped utility poles, knocking out power to at least 100,000 customers in Nebraska and 30,000 in Iowa.
The storm left many with weather whiplash following a springlike Tuesday with temperatures topping 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) in some parts.
High winds and risk of fires
Where it was not snowing, there were still very strong winds. Gusts combined with dry conditions from Texas and Oklahoma through Arkansas and central Missouri raised the wildfire potential.
"Before plants are growing,” Jackson said, “there's a lot of dry fuel out there.”
The fire threat ramped up Tuesday and persisted Wednesday with renewed risk in parts of Oklahoma still reeling from an outbreak of blazes that started Friday. More than 400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed, and at least four people died due to the fires or high winds, officials said.
The Texas A&M Forest Service reported that it responded to 14 new wildfires Tuesday that burned 18,518 acres across Texas.
One fire near Borger, in the state's panhandle cut power, led to evacuations and threatened more than 1,000 late Tuesday, the city said via Facebook.
“Through quick response and collaborative effort from many departments around our region, the fire remained outside of the City limits, and we did not lose any of those 1201 homes,” the city said.
As of early afternoon Wednesday, that fire, originally spanning 350 acres (140 hectares), was an estimated 500 acres (200 hectares) and 50% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Crews also responded to dozens of fires in Arkansas, where winds posed additional risk. Four homes in Little Rock were heavily damaged in the southwest part of the city, Fire Chief Delphone Hubbard said during a news briefing, but no fatalities or injuries were reported.
Mayor Frank Scott urged people to heed a burn ban for Pulaski County, saying, “Please do not do anything reckless or careless, because it could create a loss of life.”
Part of I-530 southeast of Little Rock was shut down because of smoke from a grass fire, but traffic resumed by the evening.
Massive walls of dust that forced highway closures and resulted in power outages across New Mexico on Tuesday had blown through, but forecasters warned that wind speeds would pick up and relative humidity levels would drop, making way for critical fire weather conditions Thursday.
Fighting 50-mph (80-kph) gusts, crews worked to build fire lines and mop up one blaze near the small community of Mayhill, New Mexico.
Tornadoes possible
Severe thunderstorms were possible in central Illinois with risks of hail, strong wind and tornadoes. Much of Illinois and Indiana were forecast to be under slight risk, with lower risk farther south through the Tennessee Valley.
Looking ahead — and eastward
Jackson said the storm would send a cold front across the Eastern Seaboard on Thursday with potential heavy snowfall at higher elevations in New England.
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Fingerhut reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed.
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