Snowfall and tornadoes threaten central United States

A strong spring storm threatened parts of the central United States on Monday with heavy snow on its northern side and thunderstorms and possible tornadoes in the south.

Other regions of the country were beginning to recover from their own severe weather, from hail and flooding in California to heavy snow, flooding and freezing rain in the Northeast. Tens of thousands of people remained without power in Maine, where a storm covered parts of the state in a thick layer of ice.

The new storm was forecast to bring high winds, hail, freezing rain and snow Tuesday across a wide stretch from North and South Dakota to the Gulf Coast. A blizzard warning was issued in parts of South Dakota and Nebraska.

There is a greater than 70% chance of at least 8 inches of snow falling from central South Dakota to northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, the National Weather Service reported. Snow may fall at a rate of 5 centimeters per hour, he added.

There is a possibility of severe thunderstorms with the threat of tornadoes and other damaging winds in East Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley. Strong storms, with tornado warnings, had already moved through parts of Oklahoma and Texas on Sunday night.