A powerful winter storm that swept across much of the United States over the weekend brought heavy snow, damaging winds, and bitter cold, creating widespread disruptions and raising concerns about crop and livestock impacts. World Weather Incorporated reports snowfall totals topped two feet in parts of Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, and Montana, while three to eight inches fell from southern North Dakota through South Dakota into northern Nebraska and northern Iowa. Strong winds gusting as high as 76 miles per hour caused blowing snow, power outages, and travel disruptions across the Plains and Midwest. Behind the storm, a sharp, cold wave pushed temperatures into the single digits and below zero across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Wind chills dropped into the negative 20s in northern Minnesota, creating dangerous conditions for livestock.
