Winter Storm Warning Issued for 24 Inches of Snow, Late-Season Blizzard

Spring is nearly a month in, but you'd never know it from the winter storm warnings and winter snow watches hitting a handful of states into mid-April. Up to 24 inches of snow and cold temperatures are reaching 10 western, northern and midwestern states on Saturday, April 18, and into the weekend as a late winter storm looms.

According to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, areas of the Cascades and Northern Rockies are projected to get up to two feet of snow over the weekend, with eight to 16 inches reaching mountains in Utah and Colorado and four to eight inches in Yellowstone National Park.

Elsewhere, lower elevations in  Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota and Minnesota are bracing for double-digit temperature drops and possible light snow. "Temperatures will dip 10-25 degrees below the historical average for mid-April," the weather experts at AccuWeather state, with senior meteorologist Dave Houk stating that "this will continue to be a cold storm for this time of year."

Travelers need to be especially careful in northwest and central Wyoming, where the NWS has announced a variety of winter storm warnings for mountain areas.

The late storm has even impacted the MLB. On Friday, April 17, Coors Field was covered with show ahead of the Rockies and Dodgers' four-game series. The good news is that, according to the MLB's official website, "The grounds crew wisely placed the tarp over the infield, meaning that none of the snow actually got onto the dirt."

Even Those Not Getting Snow May Face Tornados Across the Central and Eastern U.S., With More Than 600 Severe Weather Reports

Meanwhile, the central U.S. is facing a "severe weather outbreak," according to the forecasters at AccuWeather, bringing tornado activity to the Central and Eastern parts of the country. "Tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds are expected to impact key population and logistics corridors, creating operational and infrastructure risks," their meteorologists told Men's Journal in a statement.

"Nearly two dozen tornadoes and more than 600 severe weather reports have been logged from the Plains to New England this week," Dan Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, stated. "This multiday outbreak will peak this afternoon through tonight. The atmosphere is primed for destructive storms across the central U.S."

On Saturday, the severe weather threat will reach Arkansas to far southwestern New York, also with a moderate risk area in Ohio. "A few tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are possible before the threat diminishes Sunday, though thunderstorms may still impact the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast with heavier rainfall in select areas," their report states.

Thankfully, the cold weather will eventually end, but spring is known for tornados, so be prepared for those to loom into the summer. For April 25 through May 1, however, the majority of the U.S. is expected to get colder than normal temperatures, according to the NOAA, so keep that coat handy.