Tornadoes, blizzard conditions and high wind warnings impact millions in winter storms across U.S.: Full coverage

New York City Mayor Eric Adams urged residents to prepare for strong winds that may cause power outages, in a post on X Tuesday evening.

The National Weather Service warned residents of the Great Plains and Midwest on Tuesday that, following blizzard conditions in some locations, temperatures across the region are expected to plunge to dangerous levels.

By the weekend, windchill temperatures could drop to as low as -55 degrees Fahrenheit in portions of Montana and North Dakota. Chicago and Kansas City could see windchills nearing -20 F.

On its account on X, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security posted warning signs for hypothermia.

The National Weather Service issued an alert at 6:18 p.m. ET that a "concerning" amount of rainfall will continue into the evening on Tuesday, making "lash flooding likely in eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, southern New York and western Connecticut.

"Rainfall rates will pick up this evening as the elevated airmass becomes marginally unstable," read the latest NWS alert. "This along with the areas of snowmelt and/or low flash flood guidance will lead to isolated or widely-scattered instances of flash flooding through this evening."

With heavy rain across much of the eastern United States on Tuesday evening, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Raleigh, Cary and Apex until 9 p.m. ET.

Raleigh-Durham International airport was hit with 69 mile per hour winds at 5:49 p.m. Tuesday.

The official X account for the town of Chapel Hill posted moments later that the National Weather Service had canceled the tornado watch there. However, tornado warnings were still still in effect for other parts of the state through 6 p.m. ET.

With officials warning that the strongest winds could hit New York overnight, strong gusts have already been reported at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a post on X that tens of thousands of New York residents were without power as the winter storm hit the state with high winds and heavy rain on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued continued tornado warnings for several counties in North Carolina, Florida and Virginia on Tuesday evening. The specific counties where the warnings are in effect are being announced via the National Weather Service's official tornado warning account @NWStornado on X, formerly known as Twitter.

New York City Emergency Management warned residents Tuesday evening that the National Weather Service "expanded the High Wind Warning" for the entire five boroughs. The highest wind gusts could reach 70 miles per hour and are expected to arrive late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

More than 400,000 electrical customers in the U.S. were without power as of Tuesday evening, according to the monitoring website PowerOutage.us. The outages are primarily in the Southeast, with the majority taking place in North Carolina.

Migrant families were evacuated from Floyd Bennett Field, an emergency shelter, in southern Brooklyn out of an abundance of caution ahead of the storm and high winds on Tuesday, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s administration.

Around 1,900 individuals will stay overnight at James Madison High School in Midwood, Brooklyn.

“The relocation will continue until any weather conditions that may arise have stabilized and the facility is once again fit for living,” a statement from Adams’s office said. “We are actively monitoring the situation and will issue updates as necessary.”

The National Weather Service says a winter storm will move through portions of the Western U.S. and will "produce heavy snow, blizzard conditions, & snow squalls" through Thursday.

Meanwhile, parts of the central U.S. will likely see "a swath of heavy snow" by Friday and Saturday.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the severe weather impacting the nation on Tuesday at the beginning of the White House press briefing.

"We're seeing severe weather warnings and impacts, from blizzards out West to heavy rains and high wind in the East. A number of states have already declared state of emergency," she told reporters.

"We are closely monitoring the weather and we encourage all Americans to do the same. Do not become complacent, and make sure to heed the warnings of local officials," the White House advised.

Jean-Pierre encouraged Americans to download the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) app for real-time weather alerts and to help prepare for the extreme weather.

Here is the latest forecast from the National Weather Service:

You can read the entire weather service update here.

According to the National Weather Service, a string of thunderstorms with embedded tornadoes are moving east across the southeastern U.S.

"If you're in a tornado warning, TAKE COVER NOW!" meteorologists warned. "Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows."

The city of Savannah, Ga., is bracing for severe thunderstorms with 60 mph wind gusts with pea-sized hail possible. A tornado watch is in effect in certain areas.

Florida's Division of Emergency Management is warning those in northeast and central Florida to stay inside as severe thunderstorms pass through the region this afternoon.

Officials suggest that you:

1. Check the weather before heading outside

2. Find a safe room or other space in your home away from windows

3. Make sure you have a way to receive weather alerts and other relevant emergency updates

According to the Charlotte Observer:

Wind chill and flood advisories were issued by the National Weather Service Tuesday for parts of North Dakota — which means that every state in the country is currently under some sort of weather advisory.

North Dakota had been the only state without one until late Tuesday morning, when the weather service warned that arctic air "will bring dangerously cold wind chills during the overnight and early morning hours."

Meanwhile, sheets of ice that often get caught in bends along the Missouri River could cause the water level to quickly rise near the capital city of Bismarck.

"Residents near the river should be watchful of rapidly changing conditions," the weather service said.

According to the National Weather Service, at least three tornadoes have been reported in Florida, where extensive damage was seen across the Panhandle.

Here's the latest from the USA Today:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in 49 counties to "ensure that there are no unmet needs following the severe weather impacting Florida."

"I urge all Floridians to heed warnings from local officials as this storm continues across the state," DeSantis said in a post on X.

If you have to trek through the crazy weather moving through most parts of the U.S., here are some tips for what to do if you get stuck, like these folks from Texas who were stranded in the snow on a Utah highway for hours this past weekend and had to be rescued by a snow team.

Call for help:

• Dial 911

• Call highway patrol

• Reach out to your roadside assistance service

• Try to stay in a car

Conserve fuel

The American Automobile Association (AAA) recommends running the car for five to 10 minutes to warm up the inside of the car and then shutting it off for 30 to 45 minutes before starting it up again.

But if you do run out of gas, David Bennett, repair systems manager at AAA told the Washington Post to "get out and push to get the car out of the main roadway, either over to the shoulder or onto the median." Then layer up with coats and blankets to avoid hypothermia.

If your car is flooded:

• Turn engine off to avoid hydrolock

• Don't drive in puddles

• Get out as quickly and safely as possible

• Use tools in your car to break and exit through windows if water rises

Before you leave the house, make sure you have these in your car:

• First aid kit

• Blankets

• Snacks

• Portable phone charger

• Ice scrapers/snow brushes

• Flashlight with batteries

• Jumper cables

• Road flares

Here is the latest forecast from the National Weather Service:

You can read the entire weather service update here.

The powerful storm system barreling down on many parts of the U.S. has knocked out power for more than 300,000 people. The states of Georgia, Florida and Alabama make up most of customers who have reported power outages.

Georgia takes the lion's share of power outages, with over 65,000 customers without power. Florida reported more than 62,000 customers without power, followed by Alabama with over 58,000 power outages.

The Midwest, South, Pacific, mid-Atlantic, Mountain and New England regions make up the remainder of customers without power.

Per the Tallahassee Democrat, several tornadoes were reported across the Florida Panhandle on Tuesday morning as severe storms moved through the area.

"Confirmation, along with strength and intensity will be determined by the National Weather Service," the newspaper said, "but residents have been posting videos and pictures on social media of the damage left behind."

Here are a few of them:

Many areas in Southern California experienced their "coldest night of the season" as temperatures fell below freezing overnight into Tuesday morning.

The National Weather Service has issued freeze warnings and frost advisories and is predicting "potentially damaging winds" late Wednesday through Thursday.

Iowa is under a winter storm warning until later this evening, as residents brace for up to 9 inches of snow. Temperatures will also dip to single-digit and below-zero temperatures as a polar vortex — a blast of cold air — is expected to follow the snowfall. Meteorologists predict the freezing temperatures will linger through Iowa caucus day, which kicks off the 2024 presidential race, on Jan. 15.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was scheduled to hold a campaign event on Monday, but it was canceled due to the weather.

Flood watches or warnings have been issued in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maryland and parts of the Washington, D.C., area.

A watch, a warning and an advisory are all different. Stephanie Fox, national spokesperson for the American Red Cross, told Yahoo News:

• A watch traditionally means that the weather is incoming but not immediately. It’s important to just be prepared and be aware of what kind of weather hazard is forthcoming.

• An advisory means it’s probably going to occur but maybe not to the severity of a flood warning, but there’s probably going to be some sort of nuisance flooding.

• A warning means that the weather is imminent or it’s already happening, and you need to make sure that you are taking action in that moment and knowing what your action is long before that warning is actually issued.

Read more on what you should do in a flooding emergency.

North Carolina and New Jersey have declared states of emergency as heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts pummel the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, potentially bringing flash floods and power outages.

In North Carolina, officials announced they will waive "truck weight, size and hours of service restrictions so that vehicles carrying essential supplies such as food, medicine or fuel or transporting livestock and crops can get their jobs done quickly."

New Jersey's governor, Phil Murphy, announced that the state's order would take effect at 5 p.m. Tuesday, across all 21 counties in the state. The order permits resources to be deployed throughout New Jersey as long as the storm lasts.

The underside of the massive storm system that is forecast to bring snow from the Plains to the Great Lakes and rain and wind to the Northeast is bringing hail to South.

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Fla., posted a photo of what it described as "roughly baseball-sized hail" in Alabama.

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop at Georgia's Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the surrounding area.

According to the National Weather Service, nearly every state in the country is currently under some sort of weather advisory.

As of 8 a.m. ET, North Dakota is the only state without one.