Snowstorm across Midwest and Northern Plains bring blizzard conditions, power outages and travel chaos

A powerful winter storm is currently hammering the Midwest US and Northern Plains, bringing blizzard conditions, power outages and travel chaos to multiple states.

The National Weather Service has issued blizzard warnings from northern Colorado and Kansas through to parts of Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota on Monday, with between two and ten inches of snow expected to fall in some areas.

“Snow may accumulate at 1 to 2 inches per hour in heavier bands,” the weather service said.

The agency also warned that travel could be “near impossible at times” in affected areas, with winds of over 50 miles per hour expected to hit.

Strong winds could also cause widespread power outages, with falling trees hitting power lines.

It comes after a storm dumped more than two feet of snow on areas including Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont last week. Following last week’s storm, around 160,000 homes and businesses were still without power across the Northeast as of late Sunday night, according to PowerOutage.us.