Cross-country winter storm threatens millions with heavy snow and flooding

A cross-country winter storm is expected to bring severe weather, including heavy snow and flooding, to multiple states as it makes its way across the central U.S. 

Heavy snow and blizzard conditions are expected to smash into the Great Plains and the Midwest beginning late Monday and stretching into Thursday, the National Weather Service forecasted. The major storm will "produce numerous, widespread, and impactful weather hazards in the heart of the country this week," NWS said. 

The expected extreme weather is part of the same system that over the weekend dumped heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada while downpours at lower elevations triggered flood watches across large swaths of California into Nevada.