The forecast comes days after an expansive storm similarly trekked across the U.S. last week, unloading snow in the northern Plains and bringing tornadoes and wildfires to the South. At least five storm-related deaths in Nebraska and Mississippi were tied to that storm.

Megastorm May Bring Blizzards, Tornadoes, Flooding and Even Fires Across Much of US More than 100 million people in the U.S. will be in the path of an intense March storm starting Friday as the sprawling multi-day system threatens fires,

The National Weather Service predicted extreme weather across a vast swath of the country with a population exceeding 100 million people.