Winter alerts are in effect for millions of Americans as heavy snow falls in the West

In the mountains of California, there will likely be a lot of snowfall, with the Central Sierra projected to receive an extra 1 to 3 feet of snow throughout Sunday’s day.

563 inches, or nearly 47 feet, of snow have been recorded at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab in Soda Springs, California, so far this season. The typical seasonal snowfall is 360 inches.

After a string of catastrophic winter snowstorms stranded thousands of residents in Southern California last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday declared a state of emergency in more than a dozen counties, including San Bernardino County.

This season, 562 inches of snow have been measured at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab at Soda Springs, California.

Due to the “severe public safety hazard,” the San Bernardino National Forest stated Friday that it will be closed until March 16.

Although heavy snow blankets the West, a storm system is expected to dump snow and rain from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes this week.

The Northern Plains are now under the influence of a low pressure system that split off from the activity in the West and went there, bringing snow and rain from the Dakotas to the Great Lakes.

Several inches of snow are predicted in areas like Minneapolis, Green Bay, and Milwaukee as the storm heads east.

Meanwhile, this storm will bring rain to Des Moines, Chicago, and Detroit.

After departing the Great Lakes, the storm is predicted to diminish and go into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, bringing some precipitation to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and perhaps southern New York on Monday night.

Over a substantial portion of the southern Plains, red flag warnings have been issued due to strong winds and dry weather. Meteorologists advise residents to use additional caution when burning outdoors, which is customary as spring approaches.