Powerful storm brings snow, ice, bitter cold across U.S.


(CNN) A massive winter storm is pummeling the U.S. from coast to coast with heavy snow, ice and extreme cold. It’s wreaking havoc across the West and Midwest and it’s now moving east.

In Wyoming, a state trooper had to scramble out of the way as a runaway truck almost hit him.

Dangerous conditions on a snowy road in Truckee, California caused a car to flip.

In Flagstaff, Arizona, the snow was so violent that a man told CNN it literally knocked him backward as he and his dog struggled to see, and keep their footing.

The sweeping, massive storm system is hitting much of the country from California to Maine.

More than 65 million people are under winter weather alerts across the West, Midwest and Northeast.

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul area could get around 20 inches by the time it’s over. It could be the most snow that area has seen in three decades.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz discussed the dangers they prepared for. He said, “The goal is to not have to pull somebody off the interstate, but we’re prepared to do so if that happens. The goal is to make sure that we’re ready if there’s a power loss. It’s being able to keep the highways and move emergency vehicles as quickly as we can.”

Conditions are so severe in Minnesota that ambulances have to be specially equipped. Hennepin Healthcare EMS Assistant Chief Ryan Mayfield explained, “We do have shovels on our ambulances. We have salt and sand mixtures as well, to help us out. And we have a few sleds if we need to use them.”

California is getting hit with snow in places that don’t often experience it.

North of Los Angeles, a long stretch of vehicles was stopped on State Route 58 as the highway patrol warned motorists.

But in different areas, there are different impacts.

Near San Jose, high winds snapped trees, brought down powerlines, and caused widespread power outages.

High winds caused so-called “brown-out” conditions, and several vehicle accidents, in the Texas panhandle.

In California, extremely rare blizzard warnings are being issued for the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

The National Weather Service says that’s the first time that’s happened since February 1989.

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