The snow was expected to taper off from west to east during the day on Tuesday, the service said, adding that additional accumulations of snow were possible for some regions, especially in the mountain ranges of the central Great Basin, Central and Southern Rockies, and Arizona.
Ski resort operators were celebrating. At Steamboat Ski Resort in northwestern Colorado, the snowfall helped usher in “one of the best early seasons most can remember,” said Loryn Duke, a spokeswoman. Nearly 40 inches of snow have piled up this month, she added, including about 12 inches in the last 24 hours.
In Utah, over two feet of snow were reported at Powder Mountain, just north of Salt Lake City, which received nearly half a foot. Over the weekend, some resorts in the Lake Tahoe region received over 50 inches of fresh snow.
In Iliff, Colo., northeast of Denver, Dakota McGee, a storm chaser, put on his ski jacket and thermals early Tuesday and headed out into blizzard and whiteout conditions, with temperatures hovering around 16 degrees with a wind chill of negative 2. Mr. McGee said he measured a wind gust of 51 m.p.h. with snow drifts of two to three feet.
“It’s pretty brutal to be outside. It will chill you to the bone,” Mr. McGee said. “Blowing snow was hitting my face. As a storm chaser, I’m used to it, but it’s pretty intense and hard to see things.”
Severe storms, possibly with more tornadoes, are expected across portions of the South.
Storms capable of damaging winds and strong tornadoes are likely across parts of the South on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Storm Prediction Center said. At least two confirmed tornadoes hit North Texas early Tuesday.
The most likely place for tornadoes on Tuesday will be across northern and central Louisiana, including Baton Rouge and Shreveport, and into Mississippi, according to the Weather Service. By Wednesday, the threat moves east, likely affecting southern Louisiana and Alabama.
Snow and Ice Batter Plains and Upper Midwest
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