As we come on the air tonight, millions are on alert for dangerous weather. From California to Texas, every state in the West dealing with either winter or wind alerts, some under both. In the Sierra, Nevada, whiteout conditions forcing the shutdown of part of I-80s, branding motorists travel in the region next to impossible. The impact expected to last for days. In the Texas Panhandle, strong winds fueling the state's largest ever wildfire, the deadly smokehouse Creek fire, now covering an area bigger than the state of Rhode Island. At least two people killed, as many as 500 structures destroyed. The fire threat stretching from the Lone Star State in a Nebraska and Wyoming, and those blizzard conditions expected to drop up to 12 feet of snow in the Sierra Nevada. Our weather team standing by to time this all out, but we begin tonight with ABC's Faith Abouvet from Truckee, California.

Tonight, that life-threatening winter storm roaring through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, packing blizzard conditions and a high risk for avalanches. Nearly 4 feet of snow already, several more feet expected. Some communities experiencing up to 70-mile-per-hour wind gusts. But man, there is just no relief for the Sierra. That snow continues to fall. Interstate 80 shut down for more than 70 miles, drone video capturing stranded drivers. You can see their hazard lights flashing. The California Highway Patrol says a mass amount of vehicles were stuck over Donna Summit last night, and that it took several hours for emergency personnel and tow trucks to reach them. Trucky resident Randy Davis, describing the snowfall as exceptional.

Now it looks to be about, well, over two feet of snow. I've never seen it drop this much snow in one night here.

We met Kerry Klink racing to clear snow before even more of it falls, describing the intensity of those blizzard winds. Last night, Even the windows are shaking and stuff. In central California, a rare tornado touching down Friday afternoon in Madera County, ripping branches from trees and damaging a classroom at Brenda Elementary. Emily Soto and her sister Aline were in the cafeteria for an after school program.

I just heard everyone screaming and branches and trees just falling down, and the tutors tried to close the door, and they grabbed everyone to go on the floor.

Thankfully, no injuries reported.

Faith Abube, joining us now from Truckee, California, along that closed Interstate 80, a major thoroughfare. We can see the snow still coming down. Any word yet on when it will reopen?

Well, the State's Department of Transportation is discouraging all mountain travel. Cruise are out right now evaluating conditions and trying to clear all the roadways, but they haven't said when they expect I-80 to fully reopen. Between the winds here and the snow, the storm system is affecting every single state here in the West.

Major impacts. Faith, thank you.

Hi, everyone. George Stefanopouls here. Thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel. If you'd like to get more videos, show highlights, and watch live event coverage, click on the right over here to subscribe to our channel. And don't forget to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts. Thanks for watching.