Great Plains braces for treacherous Christmas EveDecember 24, 2009 4:46 a.m. EST
As the storm moves in, snow covers the ground Wednesday night at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The northern Plains all the way down to north Texas under a winter weather warning
Residents of Minnesota are warned to prepare for possible record-breaking snowfall
Foul weather has already started creating problems for airline passengers in Chicago
Parts of East Texas remain under a tornado watch; one twister has already struck
(CNN) -- A large swath of the nation's midsection -- from the northern Plains all the way down to north Texas -- was under a winter storm warning early Christmas Eve. The National Weather Service included the entire state of Minnesota in its warning.
The storm is expected to dump between 15 to 20 inches of snow over much of Minnesota, according to CNN affiliate KARE. The city of Golden Valley, a western suburb of Minneapolis, has already declared a snow emergency
The Great Plains storm had the Minneapolis, Minnesota, area "right in the teeth" of it, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.
"There's potential for the northwest part of the city to see an almost record-breaking snow event," Myers said. Winds could gust up to 40 to 50 miles per hour, creating blizzard-like conditions for hours, he said.
The inclement weather is the second major storm system to hit the United States in a week. Last week, a nor'easter blanketed a swath of the East Coast in snow, forcing the cancellation of hundreds of flights over the weekend.
Video: Tornado slams into town RELATED TOPICS
National Weather Service
Minneapolis
Winter Weather
The National Weather Service said early Thursday that heavy snow will hit central South Dakota. "Gusty northwest winds" are expected with "frigid wind chill readings."
Freezing rain is possible across parts of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, the service said.
Long lines have clogged airports around Chicago, Illinois, reports CNN affiliate WLS-TV. A mix of rain, ice and snow caused Southwest Airlines to cancel departures for much of Wednesday afternoon before resuming take-offs.
Many travelers were unable to reach their final destination. Melissa McMillen's first flight with her 5-month-old did not go well. A layover in Chicago from Ohio to Oklahoma has turned into an indefinite stay, WLS reports.
"We got here, went to get a bite to eat and on our way back to our gate then we saw our flight was cancelled on the screen. We had to call and try to rebook."
Across Chicago late Wednesday, drivers were being urged to stay off the roads, WLS said.
Holiday travelers in the Denver, Colorado, area, left earlier than they planned because of the threat of inclement weather, according to CNN affiliate 7NEWS in Denver.
Near blizzard conditions are expected Thursday in parts of Oklahoma, reports CNN affiliate KOCO in Oklahoma City.
In East Texas, a tornado watch remained in effect early Christmas Eve, according to CNN affiliate KLTV in Tyler.
Kevin Brownlee, public information officer for the Longview, Texas Police Department, said a tornado touched down south of Highway 80.
The tornado was blamed for a ruptured gas line and ripping the roof off a home.
