© Rob Schumacher / The Arizona Republic via AP Brian King of Cypress, Calif., scrapes snow and ice off his pickup truck Thursday morning in Flagstaff, Ariz. King, trying to return home from a Christmas trip, was trapped in Flagstaff due to the blizzard that closed Interstate 40 and Interstate 17.
Phoenix - Blizzard conditions were moving across the West on Thursday after shutting down major roads in Arizona, blasting California and Nevada with frigid winds and leaving an area of western Washington in a white-out on Wednesday.
Heavy snow fell in some mountainous regions on Wednesday and rains soaked lower elevations, cutting power to thousands and causing numerous traffic tie-ups and accidents.
A blizzard warning was issued in parts of Arizona on Wednesday, and forecasters warned the system would move into neighboring New Mexico on Thursday. Colorado's mountains could see up to two feet of snow by Friday.
Below is an overview by state.
Arizona:
The storms intruded on the normally pleasant winter weather in the Phoenix desert area, delivering an hours-long chilly rain and leaving residents bracing for a rare below-freezing dip in temperatures Friday.
Snow and ice forced the closure of parts of Interstates 17 and 40, the two major thoroughfares in northern Arizona, stranding motorists south of Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.
"As far as I can see, it's tail lights," said Abel Gurrola, who was headed north on I-17 with his wife and three sons before the highway reopened Thursday morning.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said it received more than 100 calls reporting slide-offs in a three-hour period, including semi trucks.
The snow left visibility down to a half-mile around the Grand Canyon and a quarter-mile in Flagstaff, National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Breckenridge said.
Highway 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff was shut at least until Thursday afternoon. State Route 87 was re-opened after a multi-vehicle collision just south of Payson in central Arizona.
California:
The latest round of rain to hit waterlogged California moved east, leaving powerful winds in its wake.
Snow also forced California transportation officials to close Interstate 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where winds were gusting to more than 40 mph. The freeway was shut down from Halloran Springs to the Nevada state line but reopened early Thursday with highway patrol officers escorting motorists.
Gusts of more than 50 mph hit parts of northern Los Angeles County late Wednesday, with colder air and potentially damaging winds expected overnight.
The California Highway Patrol reported downed trees and tumbleweeds on various Los Angeles-area freeways and streets, making it treacherous for motorists.
The rain and heavy wind were blamed for the death of a woman camping with her 7-year-old granddaughter at a wildlife preserve in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco.
A 100-foot oak tree came down on Gayle Falgoust's tent at the Safari West Wildlife Preserve near Santa Rosa round 9 p.m. Tuesday, authorities and preserve officials said.
In the snow-laden Sierra Nevada, Placer County search teams combed the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe for Shawnte Marie Willis, who apparently became separated from friends while snowboarding Tuesday afternoon. Willis, 25, was last seen snowboarding through ski boundary signs near the top of an advanced slope, resort spokeswoman Rachel Woods told the Sacramento Bee.
Winds were even stronger farther east.
Utility crews worked to restore power to more than 10,000 homes and businesses around South Lake Tahoe, Calif.
Nevada:
The storm socked the Sierra Nevada with gusts topping 100 mph and more than a foot of snow, causing flight delays in Reno, Nev., and headaches for motorists.
Nevada's strongest wind gust was recorded at 105 mph at Mammoth Lakes ski resort.
Idaho:
Blizzard conditions blew through Palouse, near the Idaho line. Wind gusts of more than 30 mph "will create white-out conditions over the rural areas of the Palouse. Travel will be dangerous or impossible," the National Weather Service said. Near Calder, Idaho, search teams were looking for a snowmobiler missing after an avalanche Wednesday.
A camping Boy Scout troop had to be rescued after a snowstorm stranded them near Pocatello, Idaho. The seven boys and three adults had planned to spend Tuesday night at Lariat Cave but were unable to get out, Power County Sheriff Jim Jeffries said. They called for help Wednesday morning and responders brought them out by snowmobile several hours later.
Washington:
Heavy snow and icy roads made travel tough in the Spokane area of eastern Washington, which was hit by 9 inches of snow, while knocking out power to 6,000 customers.
Colorado:
Storms were expected to dump up to 2 feet of snow in Colorado's mountains before things calm down Friday.
Denver, which had only seen an inch of snow so far this season, could get six to 10 inches by Friday.
Wyoming:
Jackson Hole, Wyo., had several inches of snow with higher totals in the mountains. Winter storm warnings were in effect from Yellowstone and Teton National Parks.
An American Airlines jetliner went past the end of a snowy runway at Jackson Hole Airport. No one was hurt and no cause has yet been officially determined. The pilot blamed brake failure.
I live in Western Washington and Tuesday night Wednesday morning we got a mild bit of snow that went away by roughly 10A.M. in my home town. Ok no big deal. Last night (Wednesday night) it hailed for maybe 5 minutes. That was it, 5 minutes. It sounded like a wind storm! In 5 minutes everything was white. Maybe an inch thick. There is still hail on the ground here. I never seen anything like it be my 4+ decades, it was the darnedest thing, it was an explosive Hail flash. After the five minutes, 5 more minutes later the sky was clear and it was 27 degrees after being over 32(c) 15 minutes earlier.