A powerful storm system is producing whiteout conditions in portions of the central United States and nearly 7 million people are under a tornado watch as residents in parts of the Plains remain under a threat for dangerous wildfires.

Violent tornadoes and high winds decimated homes, wiped out schools and toppled semitractor-trailers as a monster storm that killed at least 32 people ripped its way across the central and southern U.

On Monday, 8 million people were under winter storm watches and warnings, although the storms' impacts were less severe than those over the weekend.