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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The Latest on severe spring storm (all times local):
1 p.m.
Several Midwestern states are digging out from a spring snowstorm, while the South braces for weekend thunderstorms that could bring tornadoes.
Strong winds and snow lingered Friday in parts of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, a day after a spring storm buried parts of the states and created dangerous travel conditions.
The National Weather Service says strong winds and hail are now expected in the South. Forecasters say tornadoes are also possible Saturday in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and eastern Texas, and then Sunday in Georgia.
The weather service's office in Birmingham, Alabama, is advising church pastors to watch the weather during Sunday services, warning that large rooms like sanctuaries and auditoriums aren't safe during severe weather.
National Weather Service forecaster Greg Gust says a low pressure system in the southwest U.S. created two separate "chunks of energy." He says one hit the Midwest and other will hit the South in a "one-two punch."
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9 a.m.
Strong winds and more snow are expected in the Midwest after a spring storm buried several states in snow and created dangerous travel conditions.
The storm lingered Friday in parts of Minnesota, South Dakota and North Dakota, but the system is expected to weaken as it moves north. Several snow-packed highways remain closed in Nebraska, and forecasters say unseasonably low temperatures will linger through the weekend.
Thursday's blizzard was the second "bomb cyclone" storm system to hit the region in a month. It closed highways, knocked out power to tens of thousands of people and left behind 25 inches of snow (63.5 centimeters) in northeast South Dakota.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem closed government offices in most of the state for a third straight day Friday. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency in much of his state, where the Minnesota State Patrol has responded to more than 500 crashes since Wednesday.
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