Parts of the U.S. are bracing for blizzard conditions, as a powerful storm moves east after bringing snow and tornadoes to the southern United States.

Blizzard warnings are in effect for parts of Indiana and Ohio.

The National Weather Service is advising people to stay off the roads, saying snow and strong winds could create white-out conditions, making travel extremely dangerous.

It says 15 to 25 centimeters of snow could fall in the area.

Winter storm warnings stretch from Indiana to Maine, while parts of North Carolina and South Carolina are under tornado watches.

Several deaths were reported after the storm swept through the southern U.S. on Christmas Day, Tuesday.

Tornadoes touched down in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, damaging homes and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power. The system also caused winter storms in Oklahoma, leading to a 21-car accident on a major interstate.

The fatalities include a 25-year-old man in Texas who was killed when a tree toppled onto his pickup truck, and a person in Oklahoma killed in a car crash on a snow-covered highway.