WASHINGTON (AP/RTR) – The first major winter storm of the year has caused a lot of snow and problems in air traffic in the United States. Flights were canceled and snow fell in a number of cities in the north of the country. Tornadoes were observed in the south.
The US Weather Bureau NWS had predicted 2 to 7 inches of snowfall per hour for Tuesday in parts of the states of Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota. The snowfall was occasionally accompanied by thunder. More than 200 flights were canceled at Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport due to the weather. On Tuesday night, the NWS recorded eight tornadoes in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. There were also many reports of damage to trees, electricity pylons and houses due to strong winds.
At the end of last year, a number of American states were hit by a heavy snowstorm. The area in and around Buffalo, New York State, was the hardest hit. In total, the harsh winter weather took the lives of at least sixty people.