The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi through 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, forcing Mardi Gras parades in Jefferson Parish, La. to be cancelled and celebrations in New Orleans to be altered.

Powerful storms were threatening communities across the country with weather ranging from fire in the Southern High Plains to blizzards in the Midwest

Powerful storms that killed two people in Mississippi and ripped roofs from buildings in a small Oklahoma town charged across the nation, threatening more communities Wednesday in the central to eastern United States with wide-ranging weather.

The National Weather Service says a major winter storm in the Central United States will bring blizzard conditions and severe weather starting today through the middle of this week. "A swath of 4 to 8 inches along with very strong winds will set up from the Central High Plains to the Upper Midwest resulting in a vast area with blizzard conditions.