Winter Weather Alerts for 5 States As Snow Storm Hits Rockies

Winter weather warnings and advisories are in place for five U.S. states as meteorologists are predicting more snow to fall over the southern Rockies and High Plains on Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued alerts concerning snow and strong winds for parts of Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas, warning of difficult travel conditions and snow accumulations at higher elevations.

In its latest forecast, the weather agency said a winter storm was expected to impact southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, as well as portions of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, through to Friday morning, with between four and eight inches of additional snow falling over the region.

It said scattered showers and thunderstorms are anticipated to move eastward through Texas and Oklahoma, with temperatures below average across the region due to cloud coverage.

Western states have faced several bouts of snowfall so far this winter, having been subjected to a "prolific series" of atmospheric river storms from the Pacific, after experiencing the effects of a similar weather front last winter.

In New Mexico, the NWS warned that additional snow accumulations of between three and 10 inches would fall over central and northeastern parts of the state, with up to 16 inches over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Regions including the Santa Fe metro area will see up to three inches of snowfall through to early on Friday morning.

Colorado's portion of the Sangre de Cristo range will see between three and seven inches of snow accumulation, as well as on the southern I-25 corridor. Baca County is expected to see up to five inches, while in the eastern San Juan mountains as much as eight inches could fall above 10,000 feet.

Up to seven inches of snow is anticipated to fall west of Boise City in Oklahoma and Dalhart in Texas on Thursday, with total accumulations reaching four inches. The NWS also advised residents of west central Kansas to take care while traveling as "a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow" is forecast, with additional snow accumulations of one to four inches.

Very cold wind chills that could lead to frostbite and reduced visibility are set to continue across parts of Alaska on Thursday, while heavy snow is expected around Skagway and Haines, to the immediate south of the Yukon, where up to two feet of snow could accumulate along the Haines and Klondike highways. Wind gusts as high as 40 miles an hour are also predicted.