Harsh cold forecast for parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada

A winter storm warning was in effect through Wednesday evening for much of northern Arizona and New Mexico, with the National Weather Service forecasting bitter cold conditions

Much of northern Arizona and New Mexico were expected to be bitterly cold overnight Wednesday, with temperatures well below freezing, and a wind chill that will deepen the need to bundle up, the National Weather Service said.

The latest winter storm led to closures on major roadways in northern Arizona. Public schools across northern Arizona either closed or started late after snow fell across the region. Flagstaff recorded about a foot (30 centimeters) of snow, but outlying areas saw a bit more.

Though much of the wintery blast was over, cold daytime temperatures and frigid overnight wind chills are expected through Friday in northern and eastern Arizona.

In New Mexico, rain, blowing snow, potentially damaging winds and drastically colder temperatures hit the state. Near-blizzard conditions were possible across the northeast portion of the state before the storm was forecast to exit the state Wednesday.

For Nevada, the weather service in Reno warned of “downright dangerous” conditions in exposed areas of the high Sierra on Wednesday with wind chills of -20 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 to -34 Celsius).