ABC News(NEW YORK) — Residents in the usually warm climes of Southern California and Nevada were treated to a winter wonderland on Thursday.
Almost 1 inch of snow fell at Vegas International Airport on Thursday — the most snow the city has seen in more than a decade. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles metro area reported snow showers, but no actual accumulation. Flagstaff, Arizona, saw its snowiest day in the recorded history of the city with 35.9 inches.
The storm is gathering strength in the Southwest and southern Rockies on Friday. As the storm moves east over the next several days, 32 states from California to Virginia are under snow, flood or high wind alerts.
The storm system is centered over the Southwest early Friday morning bringing rain and snow to the Four Corners region of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.
By Friday evening, the storm system will move into the eastern Rockies and bring snow to Denver.
At the same time, ahead of the storm, a frontal system will bring heavy rain to the South, from Arkansas to Tennessee.
The storm moves into the central U.S. by Saturday, bringing heavy snow from Kansas to Michigan, while to the south, severe storms are expected with damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes. Flash flooding is also possible in the South with the heavy rain expected.
From Saturday night into Sunday morning the storm system moves onto the East Coast and into the Northeast, where heavy rain is expected for the Interstate 95 corridor from Virginia to Massachusetts.
Heavy snow is expected for northern New England. The heaviest rain will fall from Shreveport, Louisiana, to Memphis, Tennessee, and into western Virginia, where locally 4 inches or more is possible. Flash flooding is expected.
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