Christmas Eve storms deliver snow, severe weather across US
People dash across the street outside the Cathedral of St. Paul during a major winter storm, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 in St. Paul, Minn. (Leila Navidi/Star Tribune via AP)
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CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — With snow in the Midwest and tornado threats in the southeast, storms are blanketing the U.S. this Christmas Eve.
A snow storm brought strong winds and bitter cold to the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota early Wednesday, impacting holiday travel plans as it moves east.
National Weather Service officials forecast wind chills dropping to 35 F below zero, pushed by gusts of more than 60 mph. Many flights were grounded as numerous travel advisories urged motorists to stay off the road and several highways were shut down altogether.
The storm was centered in southeastern Minnesota and was expected to track steadily toward Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and northern Michigan by Wednesday night. The heaviest snow band stretched from the Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota back toward Watertown in eastern South Dakota, Gust said.
Mail carrier Dennis Niles braves the blowing snow as blizzard like conditions hit Osseo and the Twins Cites on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 in Osseo, Minn. (Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via AP) 
Shoppers endured blizzard conditions while shopping for groceries before the holidays Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 in Richfield, Minn. (David Joles/Star Tribune via AP) 
Camilla Cruz, a float nurse at North Memorial Health Hospital, shovels her driveway Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020 in Robbinsdale, Minn. (Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via AP)
In Ohio, several northeastern counties anticipated snow totals from 8 to 14 inches. Winter weather advisories are in effect through Saturday, when Kwanzaa begins. NewsNation affiliate WJW reported that the blowing snow is expected to impact travel as well.
Meanwhile, parts of the South were under a tornado watch, as powerful storms whip through Georgia and Alabama.
A tornado watch covered parts of southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle early Thursday.
The same storm system would move into the Carolinas and parts of Virginia later Thursday, forecasters said. More than 4 million people in that region will be at an enhanced risk of severe storms Thursday, according to the national Storm Prediction Center.
