A dangerous storm is sweeping the nation with severe weather risk
More than 180 million people could see severe weather through midweek, with more than two dozen states at risk, according to AccuWeather.
Jeanine SantucciEditor's Note: This page is a summary of news on severe storms for Saturday, March 29. For the latest news, read our story for Sunday, March 30.
An outbreak of severe weather this weekend and into early next week could impact millions of Americans, with the potential for thunderstorms, large hail, destructive winds and tornadoes, forecasters said Saturday.
More than 180 million people could see severe weather through midweek, with more than two dozen states at risk, according to AccuWeather. The threat will start Saturday night, with hail, damaging winds, flash flooding and tornadoes that could impact cities including Dallas; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Topeka and Wichita, Kansas; Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri; and Des Moines, Iowa.
Then on Sunday, the weather will shift further east and into the middle Mississippi Valley and portions of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys, AccuWeather said.
"On Sunday, we are probably looking at a dozen or two tornadoes," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
And to the north, ice, snow and sleet is expected in states from the Northern Plains into the Great Lakes region to New England where winter weather advisories blanketed Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and parts of New York, according to the National Weather Service. Light to moderate snow and freezing rain is expected in the New England states.
"These amounts of ice are likely lead to tree damage and power outages," the weather service said.
Saturday into Sunday, between 2 and 4 inches of snow is expected, with some higher amounts locally up to 8 inches, in northern Nebraska, southern South Dakota, central Minnesota, far northern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan.
Maps show severe weather risk
Red flag warnings for millions
More than 4 million people were under red flag warnings on Saturday across most of New Mexico and parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Gusty winds, higher-than-usual temperatures and low moisture levels put the area at "critical risk" for wildfires on Saturday and Sunday, the weather service said.
Avoid open flames and sparks, don't park vehicles on dry grass and discard of cigarettes carefully, the weather service in Albuquerque warned Saturday, adding that winds will be at their strongest Saturday and again on Tuesday.
An outbreak of wildfires in the Carolinas has forced evacuations and destroyed homes over the last 10 days. Firefighters in North Carolina were still battling blazes and fires continue to pop up. Though weather conditions are expected to improve Saturday, the risk for new fires continues.
The largest fire in the region is the Table Rock Fire in Pickens County, South Carolina, which doubled in size Friday and crossed the state line into Transylvania County in North Carolina. In North Carolina, large wildfires are burning in Polk County, the Deep Woods and Black Cove fires; Swain County, the Alarka Fire; and Haywood County, the Rattlesnake Branch Fire, that has forced the closure of Shining Rock Wilderness in Pisgah National Forest.
Contributing: Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; The Asheville Citizen Times