Band of winter weather forecast Colorado to Maine; tornado confirmed in Tennessee: Thursday updates
Friday updates: Read the latest weather news here.
A major winter storm slammed portions of the United States on Thursday as heavy snow accumulated across the Midwest and portions of the South saw tornado risks.
The National Weather Service warned of severe weather conditions which are expected to bring heavy snow, high winds, and tornadoes from Colorado to Alabama through Thursday.
A tornado watch was in effect Thursday morning in six South and Central U.S. states. The weather service reported damages from a tornado in Tennessee Thursday afternoon.
The Midwest saw piles of snow as most areas were expecting under a foot of snow through parts of Kansas and Nebraska, as well as Wisconsin. Snow accumulations of up to 10 inches were forecast through Thursday evening.
Heavy snow across the region caused dangerous travel conditions. The Iowa Department of Transportation said all roads in the southern third of Iowa were completely covered in snow Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, residents across northern New York state and northern New England are under a significant ice storm from Thursday night into Friday, according to AccuWeather.
The ice storm is expected to cause treacherous travel conditions, damage, and power outages, AccuWeather said.
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Iowa receives nearly 100 calls from motorist amid heavy snow
Moderate to heavy snow left dangerous road conditions across Iowa on Thursday morning, according to AccuWeather.
The Iowa State Patrol said the agency received nearly 100 calls for service. At least 39 calls were for crashes and 60 calls were for motorist assists. Near white-out conditions were seen near Iowa City, according to the Department of Transportation.
The weather service in Des Moines warned that while road conditions will slowly improve overnight, the wet roads are likely to turn icy by Friday morning.
Tornado confirmed in Tennessee
Heavy rain showers and thunderstorms rolled through the South on Thursday, according to the weather service. Portions of the South were under flood and tornado watches.
A tornado was confirmed by the weather service to have touched down Thursday afternoon in the town of Etheridge as all of Middle Tennessee remained under a tornado watch until Thursday night. The weather service said the tornado was moving at 40 mph and damages to houses were reported.
Same winter storm system hits New England with ice
The same storm system is creating a significant ice storm across northern New York state and northern New England Thursday night into Friday, according to AccuWeather.
The ice storm formed near Detroit and southern Michigan Thursday night and will extend toward the coast of northern Maine and southern New Brunswick on Friday, AccuWeather said.
AccuWeather forecasters are urging people to avoid travel due to possible ice accumulation on roads which can cause no traction. Ice buildup can also cause damages to trees and powerlines.
Winter storm conditions extend from Colorado to Michigan
Winter storm warnings and other advisories on Thursday formed a band from the Plains to Maine, tracking heavy snow and ice in its path.
Though a winter storm warning only remained in effect until Thursday morning in parts of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska, snow accumulations of up to 9 inches were still possible in some areas.
Parts of Illinois and Iowa were expecting up to 7 inches of snow by Thursday evening.
Wisconsin could see up to 8 inches of snow by Thursday night.
In Michigan, a winter weather advisory was in effect until Friday morning in some areas, with snow accumulations of 6 inches possible and winds gusting as high as 35 mph.
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Contributing: Craig Shoup, Kirsten Fiscus, and Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean; Rae Johnson and Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, Louisville Courier Journal
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Thursday weather forecast: Winter warnings, tornado watch in 6 states
