April winter storm moving through Heartland, severe weather expected in Texas

A storm system and a cold front are moving out of the Rockies as heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain are now headed for the Upper Midwest and the Plains.

Already, up to 17 inches of April snow fell in Wyoming and 11 inches in South Dakota, just west of Rapid City. There is more to come as this storm system moves east.

Nine states from Montana to Iowa are under a winter storm warning or winter weather advisory for snow and ice Thursday.

This winter storm will bring heavy snow from Wyoming to the Dakotas and western Minnesota. Further east, from Nebraska, to western Iowa and into central Minnesota, ice and sleet are expected Thursday. This storm could cause very dangerous conditions on the roads.

By Friday, the storm system will move east with a cold front reaching southern Texas, where it will trigger severe storms with damaging winds, large hail and even a chance for an isolated tornado.

In addition to severe storms, heavy rain is forecast for the southern Plains, where locally 2 to 4 inches of rain is possible. This could lead to flash flooding.

Here is how much more snow and ice is forecast for the Upper Midwest and the northern Plains. Locally, more than a foot of April snow is possible for North Dakota and northern Minnesota.

Ice accumulation could reach up to half an inch in South Dakota and western Minnesota, which could bring down trees and power lines.