The Low-Scale Extreme Weather Forecast for Southern California and the Upper Mississippi Valley During Superstorms, Storms, and Hirsels
There will be lots of rain to the west this weekend but it’s not going to be the end of the world.
The weather service warns of life-threatening wind chills for millions as a storm strengthens, bringing with it more than a foot of snow.
There was moderate-to-Heavy rain Saturday in Southern California. The region will begin drying out on New Years Day, with no rain expected during Monday’s Rose Parade.
California will be concerned by winds that will range from 50 mph in coastal areas to 40 mph in the valleys, as well as higher gusts of up to 100 mph for exposed coastal headlands, mountaintops and ridges.
To the east, residents in Fargo, North Dakota, are expected to see snowfall over 6 inches and will be under a winter storm watch from late Monday night until late Wednesday night. There is a winter storm watch for Duluth, Minnesota, that could see 6 inches of snow.
On roads and highways from Wyoming to Missouri, wind and snow combined to lower visibility, making it was dangerous to drive. Officials in multiple states, including Colorado and Illinois, urged drivers to avoid travel if at all possible.
“While tornadoes in December are relatively uncommon when compared to the springtime, they are often more likely across portions of the Southeast and Lower Mississippi Valley, where there is often a secondary peak in the fall and winter,” Matthew Elliott, a meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center, told CNN.
Powerful tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail were among the threats which resulted in an improved risk of severe weather level 3 for eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi River Valley. Shreveport, Alexandria, and Monroe, Louisiana, are all part of the threatened area.
“The details regarding the areas most at risk from tornadoes will become clearer as the event approaches and smaller-scale trends become more evident,” Elliott said.
24 Hours of Snowfall in Soda Springs, North Dakota, and the Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort, Olympic Valley, California
The storm dumped 60 inches of snow on Soda Springs in the northern part of the state, making it the snowiest 48 hours on record there.
There is a possibility that 2 feet of snow could fall in the high Sierra Nevada. The National Weather Service warned of dangerous driving conditions and posted photos on social media of traffic on snow-covered mountain passes where chains or four-wheel drive were required.
South Dakota’s Department of Transportation warned that the interstates in the state could not be reached due to the severe winter weather.
Mark said that the snow is more than twice what would be expected this time of year.
It looks like it’s Christmas out here. It wasn’t windy, and it stuck to everything. It is like a picture postcard.
Deutschendorf said he is cautiously optimistic about the precipitation putting a big dent in the state’s water issues.
“We’re Buried,” the Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort wrote on its website Sunday, sharing photos of thick snow covering the ski resort in Olympic Valley, California.
This is definitely a storm to remember. We’ve now received 7.5 feet of snow since December 1st. Plus, in just 24 hours from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, we received more than 35 inches of snow — the 6th largest snowfall total in 24 hours that we have on record,” resort operators wrote.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Weather Service tweeted a Monday afternoon snow storm on the Town of Wayne. State Parks and Recoiling Areas were Destroyed by a tornado
The National Weather Service offices in South Dakota said travel will be nearly impossible on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There are many winter weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service in Minnesota. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said in a tweet Monday, “Challenging winter weather could impact travel statewide all week.”
Hans Rodvik, a spokesman for the mayor’s office, said in a statement to CNN Monday that the snowstorms had brought between 30 and 45 inches of snow to the city.
The areas need the water and have been able to get it in the past week. Tennessee, for example, went from 96% of the state under drought to being at 46% this week.
There were no deaths or injuries due to the tornado, McClain County Sheriff’s Capt. Bryan Murrell said. There was huge damage to the town of Wayne as authorities began to assess the damage on Tuesday.
Another tornado in northern Louisiana traveled through the town of Farmerville was rated an EF-3, with 140 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service. At least 20 people were injured, and the tornado demolished parts of an apartment complex and a mobile home park, Farmerville Police Detective Cade Nolan said.
At least two tornadoes were seen along the front of the storm as it moved towards the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area Tuesday morning, but it was not immediately known if any damage was done.
The Flaring of a Classical State Highway Bus with an Unstable Tornado on the Southwest Front of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association
The manager at the Flying J truck stop in Nebraska said that there is no one travelling right now. He said he got to work before the roads were closed, but likely won’t be able to get back home Tuesday. “I can see to the first poles outside the doors, but I can’t see the rest of the lot right outside. I will probably get a motel room tonight.
This is a ‘we are not kidding’ storm that the Department of Public Safety in South Dakota is using. People were urged to stock up on essentials and stay home.
The National Weather Service is expecting a busy week with the system moving across the country.
The tour bus crashed on Monday morning in northern Utah as snow and frigid temperatures hit the region. The Highway Patrol said that the bus flipped on its side after the driver lost control while changing lanes. The Highway Patrol said 23 passengers were injured, including some seriously.
The storm is causing havoc for holiday travelers across the U.S, with nearly 1,500 flight cancellations so far Saturday morning, according to FlightAware. More than 11,000 flights were delayed or canceled on Friday.
A young boy’s home in the area of Pecan Farms, which was destroyed by a tornado, was found dead in a wooded area near Shreveport, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator said.
A possible tornado damaged the city’s service center, which is a municipal facility, leaving some of the roof hanging from powerlines.
The city sent photos of the fallen power lines on the streets, as well as the damaged buildings and the semitrailer that apparently was tossed around the parking lot.
All roads in the northeast section of Colorado were closed. The severe weather in the ranching region could also threaten livestock. Extreme winds can push livestock through fences as they follow the gale’s direction, said Jim Santomaso, a northeast representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.
The Twin Cities Rejoinder on Snow, Ice and Rain since the Superhigh Energy Colliders Collided in December 2005 During the Minneapolis/South Hurricane
The National Weather Service said that there was snow, ice, and rain in the Twin Cities. Minnesota was expecting a lull Wednesday, followed by a second round of snow.
There is a possibility of winter weather as the storm moves in New York and New England ahead of the weekend.
Hochul said at the news conference that the event was a life-threatening dangerous event. Protect your families, protect yourselves. You know it’s safe if you do not travel until the roads are reopened.
“We urge everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow,” Hochul said in a Thursday statement. Stay away from the roads, and if possible, work from home.
In Pennsylvania, the state transportation officials urged drivers toavoid unnecessary travel because of poor visibility caused by wind and snow.
Since the start of the week, a storm system has caused dangerous weather all around the US, from the Midwest to the South.
There are areas in the Midwest where there was heavy snow last week and where power lines might be knocked out by strong winds. This will leave millions finding a way to stay warm as temperatures plummet to well below freezing.
Louisville, Kentucky, can see ice up to a tenth of an inch, while Charleston, West Virginia, can see sleet up to an inch.
Thousands of people in the Upper Midwest were without heating due to power lines being knocked down by strong winds.
Cold Weather Forecasts for Amarillo, Kansas, and Seattle during the Breakout of the Second Louisiana Super Hurricane and the Death of a Lasso
The mother and her son were killed in Louisiana by a tornado that destroyed the family’s home.
The cold has moved to the Gulf Coast and the Mexican border, with wind chills as far south as Austin and Atlanta. Many locations in the eastern US are in for their coldest Christmas Eve in decades as the Arctic blast reaches its peak.
There’s a chance of dangerous wind chill values of 35 to 55 degrees below zero in the area by the end of the week, according to the Weather Prediction Center.
In Kansas City the winter weather brought only an inch or two of snow. The city’s homeless services were expected to be strained due to the cold weather.
In areas where the air feels cold, frostbite on exposed skin is a possibility in less than 10 minutes, while some isolated locations can happen within five minutes.
Snowfall has already begun in Seattle, which is under a winter storm warning Tuesday. After moving east into portions of Idaho Tuesday morning, the storm will move across north and central Montana in the afternoon.
“The bottom line is travel will be very dangerous and could be LIFE-THREATENING later this week so be prepared to alter travel plans now!” The weather service office gave a statement.
Chicago is predicted to be hit the hardest by a winter storm watch starting Thursday night and lasting through Friday evening. With the holidays approaching, travel could be halted due to the weather conditions.
In Texas, the National Weather Service made it a point to reassure residents this week’s unusually cold temperatures are not expected to affect the state as severely as last year’s brutal winter storms, when millions of people lost power during a weeklong extreme weather event in February 2021.
However, water pipes will be at risk of bursting, the weather service said. Amarillo, Texas, is under a wind chill watch from Wednesday night to Friday afternoon.
“Outdoor pipes will be at risk due to well below freezing temps and windy conditions late this week,” the weather service in Fort Worth said. “Make sure to cover pipes and let faucets drip!”
The low-pressure system is forecast to move farther away into Canada, while another system quickly across the northern US into Monday, bringing snow from the northern Plains through the Midwest.
The incoming arctic front will then cross over the northern Rockies, Great Basin and Northern Plains regions, sending temperatures plummeting as low as minus 30 degrees and winds gusting as fast as 60 mph.
Air travel was mostly unaffected as of Tuesday morning, with almost 600 delays and hundreds of cancelations at airports around the country, according to a tracking site.
An outage that left 180,000 without power across New England over the weekend was resolved by Monday, but the Associated Press reported that attempts to bring extra utility workers into the state ahead of this week’s storm were stymied by slick roads.
Denver’s Coldest Day in 32 Years: Forecast for the Third Snowmass of the Mountain During the Fourth Half of the Sesame Month
If you are going outside you should cover your skin, dress in layers and wear dry clothes as soon as possible. But, experts say, the best prevention by far is simply to stay indoors.
Denver will go from a high of 47 on Wednesday to a low of 14 on Thursday. That would be the city’s coldest day in 32 years, according to the weather service.
“Whiteout conditions are expected during that time with travel becoming very difficult or impossible,” said the weather service. “This event could be life-threatening if you are stranded with wind chills in the 30 below to 45 below zero range.”
There is a high degree of concern regarding the quick development of dangerous conditions Thursday afternoon and the potential for significant impacts to the evening peak travel window.
Monday: Freezing rain and sleet is likely to begin Monday morning from parts of Texas to the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, while a mass of cold air delivers temperatures up to 30 degrees below average from the central High Plains to the Upper Midwest. There is a chance of snow in the Central Appalachians and there is also a chance of snow in the lower Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys.
The Aerial Forecast for a Hurricane-Catastrophe-like Scattered Outburst on Friday. I. Predictions for 48 hours of Jackson’s Snow Storm
The storm is expected to become a bomb on Friday. A bomb cyclone is when a storm quickly gets stronger, with atmospheric pressure dropping in 24 hours.
The storm is expected to reach the pressure equivalent of a Category 3 hurricane as it reaches the Great Lakes, with the weather service describing the strength of the low a “once-in-a-generation” event.
Still, strong gusty winds initially up to 60 mph accompanying the snow downwind from the Great Lakes will continue to make for extremely dangerous conditions on the road.
Jackson will spend more than 80 hours under the weather between Friday and Monday. Houston could stay below freezing for up to 46 hours.
A wind chill of minus 25 will be created when the temperature is around 10 degrees below zero by sunrise. The temperature will not be above zero degrees tomorrow.
Governors in at least 13 states, including Georgia and North Carolina in the South, have implemented emergency measures to respond to the storm. Declarations of a state of emergency in several states have included the activation of National Guard units.
The declaration will help ensure essential supplies are delivered for both residential and commercial uses, the governor said.
The Beshear Effect in Kentucky and the F-Anomalies at LaGuardia and Newark International Airports during the Holiday Season
Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency in Kentucky, because of expected wind gusts of up to 50 mph and wind chills of 10 to minus 26 degrees on Saturday. To have a backup heat source, Beshear asked residents to stay off the roads.
Airlines canceled just over 2,270 US flights by 6 ET p.m. Thursday and proactively canceled almost 1,000 flights for Friday, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware. There were 86 flights canceled on Saturday.
The delays were caused by snow and ice at the O’Hare International Airport which took almost three hours to complete.
The temperature fell to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 Celsius) around 5pm local time at the O’Hare. Snow and freezing fog were reported by the National Weather Service.
The FAA said departing aircraft at Dallas Love, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver and Minneapolis airports require a spraying of de-icing fluid for safe travel.
“Flight activity at #LaGuardiaAirport may be disrupted by heavy rain and strong winds later today and Friday. Travelers, please confirm flight status with your airline before heading to the airport,” LaGuardia Airport posted on Twitter. Similar notices were posted at John F. Kennedy and Newark Airport.
If your flight is still on, the Transportation Security Administration wants you to arrive at the airport earlier than usual.
According to John Busch, the federal security director at Reagan National Airport, all airports expect to be busy during the holiday season. We have already seen some of the busiest days and we anticipate Friday 30th to also be a busy day as the New Year’s holiday approaches.
Greyhound notified travelers in Milwaukee to Minneapolis and St. Louis to Wichita, Kansas, that their flights were delayed or canceled over the next two days
Maria Ihekwaba, who was traveling from Chicago to Clear Lake, Iowa, with her granddaughter on Thursday morning, told CNN she was trying to depart as soon as possible.
The San Diego based traveler told CNN that she cut her trip short to avoid getting caught in the weather while visiting her sister and brother in law.
“I was worried because San Diego, we don’t get these snowstorms,” she said. I don’t like it being stuck at the airport for long periods of time.
Greyhound issued a service alert on Thursday warning customers that their trips could be delayed or canceled if they are in the Midwest over the next two days.
Greyhound, the largest provider of intercity bus service, listed more than a dozen cities from West Virginia to Minnesota that are among those impacted. They include:
Detroit, Denver, Indianapolis and Kansas City are included in the list. Minneapolis• St. Louis• Wichita, Kansas
The notice said that people with reservations will usually be accommodated on trains with the same departure times or another day.
On the City’s Snow Removal Program: Snow Removal, Structural Damage, and Public Works at the O’Hare and Midway Airports
“This is really a very serious weather alert here,” said President Biden, speaking to reporters Thursday morning in front of a national map of wind chill forecasts. This isn’t like a snow day when you were a kid. This is serious stuff.
The grid is ready and reliable, said Peter Lake, chairman of the state’s Public Utility Commission. “We expect to have sufficient generation to meet demand throughout this entire winter weather event.”
City officials stressed that crews were working around the clock to keep flights moving at the city’s major airports, O’Hare and Midway, both of which serve as hubs for major airlines.
The city’s deputy aviation commissioner said that the snow removal crew would have 350 pieces of equipment, more than 400,000 gallons of liquid deicer and 5,000 tons of salt.
Many area shelters are at or near capacity, despite adding beds this week. Instead, some people sought shelter on the city’s streetcar, which was operating Thursday after crews had worked from 4 a.m. to clear the route and platforms.
“The library is closed. Pete, a homeless man who did not have a permanent home, told KCUR that he would probably get kicked out of the area if he chose to go into a parking garage. “There’s not much you can do.”
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/22/1144970060/winter-storm-holiday-travel
Three deaths caused by tornadoes in Montana and one person died in Kansas City due to an icy roadside embankment on Thursday afternoon
This winter is worse than in the past but it’s not new to Montana. We know how to get through things like this because we’ve been running cattle for a long time.
The high temperature in the area was expected to be 13 degrees, but Hank said that he’d be working through the cold to get hay for his animals.
Additional reports by John Hooks of Montana Public Radio in Butte, Savannah Hawley-Bates of Kansas City, and David Schaper of NPR in Chicago.
All modes of travel – planes, trains and automobiles – were being disrupted: There were hundreds of miles of road closures and flight cancellations were growing rapidly. Part of the Long Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road was temporarily closed due to flooding.
The Buffalo, New York resident said that Christmas is canceled because of the storm that will last through Sunday. Everyone agrees it’s safer this way.
There were three deaths in Kentucky due to the storm, including two in vehicle crashes and one who was a housing vulnerable person, Gov. Beshear said. The man’s body was found outside with no obvious signs of trauma and an autopsy would determine the cause of death, police said.
In Kansas City, one person died after losing control of their Dodge Caravan on icy roads Thursday afternoon, according to the Kansas City Police Department. According to police, the Dodge went down the embankment, over the retaining wall and landed upside down in the creek.
Highul, Trzeciak, and the New York City/Salt Air Force Baseline: Winter Weather Warnings and Avalanche Warnings
The agency said the watch warning graphic is one of the largest in winter weather warnings and advisories.
Hochul said he called it a Kitchen sink storm because it was throwing everything at him. “We’ve had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures, and everything that mother nature could wallop at us this weekend.”
For Brian Trzeciak, the storm was “living up to the warnings” at his home in Hamburg, New York. Buffalo’s airport, just to the north, reported zero visibility shortly after noon on Friday.
He said that his mother and sisters family live in the other direction. “We always get together for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but we’re all hunkering down in our houses until it all stops on Monday.”
The temperature in Florida is going to go up on Christmas Day. It will be coldest Christmas Day since 1983 for Miami, Tampa, Orlando and West Palm Beach.
• It will remain very cold: Friday will bring record-low temperatures in large swaths of the US, including from the Lower Mississippi Valley, northeastward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and stretching across large sections of the east from the Southeast, through the Southern to Central Appalachians and into the mid-Atlantic, according to the National Weather Service.
• Whiteout conditions: Blizzard conditions may exist even if snowfall stops, because high winds can pick up snow already on the ground and cause low visibility.
Nearly half of the flights going in and out of the airport were canceled when the runways were closed because of the ice. Sound Transit’s express services were suspended on Friday due to the icy conditions.
Winter Storm Travel – Power Outage Dangerous Conditions for the Nashville Public Works Against a Big Crunch on the Ohio Turnpike
At least six people were reportedly killed in vehicle crashes, with at least four dead in a massive pileup on the Ohio Turnpike involving about 50 vehicles.
The Tennessee Valley Authority has told local utilities to cut electricity use because the power grid is not used to the cold. Customers in Nashville can expect 10-minute power outages at certain times of the day.
The ability to restore power in weather like this is a significant challenge for the vice president of security and preparedness.
It can sometimes be difficult to reach these areas with downed power lines, trees and very icy roads. … Crews cannot go up in bucket trucks if the wind is higher than 35 miles an hour,” Aaronson said. “And so those combination of things will limit the ability of crews to get out there and get the power back on.”
In New Jersey, heavy rains and high winds downed power lines and sent floodwaters surging as high as 9 feet along the coast. Interior locations along the Hudson River were flooded.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/24/1145419116/winter-storm-travel-power-outage-dangerous-conditions
The New York Times – Christmas Eve Weather’s Second Coldest Day in 150 Years: Emergency Power and Electricity Sustaining Effects on New York City, Central Park, and Jackson
“So that, unfortunately, really affects anyone who’s got a connecting flight, and we’re going to see a lot of people missing connecting flights with these long delay times,” Bangs said.
JFK and the other New York City airports experienced record cold temperatures on Christmas Eve. The highest temperature at Central Park on December 24 was 15 degrees, making it the second coldEST day in at least 150 years.
Since the brutal weather’s arrival, multiple storm-related deaths have been reported across several states. In addition to the deaths in New York, the fatalities include:
A power grid operator for at least 13 states in the country’s eastern half asked customers to conserve power and set thermostats lower than usual from early Saturday to 10 a.m. on Sunday because usage was straining capacity.
The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves about 65 million people in all or parts of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and warned rolling blackouts could happen if the strain becomes too much.
The shortage of electricity prompted the US Department of Energy to declare an emergency in Texas and allow the energy provider to exceed environmental emissions standards until energy usage drops.
The loss of water pressure for residents in Jackson due to a large water main break can be attributed to the frigid temperatures.
“We are grateful to the crews who are braving these frigid temperatures on this Christmas Eve night, while working to restore pressure to residents. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and is appreciated not only by this administration, but also by every resident who is affected,” the release stated.
About 500 motorists got stranded in their cars on Friday night and into Saturday morning due to the horrible road conditions caused by the brutal winter weather.
National Guard troops were called in to help “rescue people that are stuck in vehicles,” and to give rides to medical workers so they could relieve colleagues who had been working at hospitals for more than a day, Poloncarz said.
Multiple storm-related deaths reported in Buffalo, New York, and the Great Lakes to California, along with an ice mass loss in Sacramento, California
In Seattle, Washington, online videos have documented cars sliding on the icy roads and bumping into each and residents slipping as they walked on sidewalks, CNN affiliate KOMO reported.
“I’ll be asking the federal government for a declaration of emergency that’ll allow us to seek reimbursements for the extraordinary expenses of all the overtime and the fact that we brought in mutual aid from other parts of the state,” Hochul said to reporters Saturday. The utility crews have come, but also made sure that we have all the vehicles we need.
New York’s three storm-related deaths were reported in Erie County. Emergency medical personnel were not able to get to their homes in time for medical emergencies which resulted in the deaths of two people. A spokesman for the county said Saturday afternoon that the third death had been confirmed.
Hochul said that the loss of 2 lives in Buffalo was due to people being unable to get to medical attention during a storm.
• Colorado: Police in Colorado Springs, Colorado, reported two deaths related to the cold since Thursday, with one man found near a power transformer of a building possibly looking for warmth, and another in a camp in an alleyway.
The storm system is expected to weaken as it gets into southeastern Canada and pulls air from Canada to the eastern part of the country.
There will be dangerous conditions on Christmas Day, even as the blast being felt across eastern two thirds of the nation moderates.
As the frigid air continues to blast the warm waters of the Great Lakes, lake-effect snows and blizzard conditions are expected to continue, but slowly become less intense.
By Christmas night into Monday, another low pressure system coming from the Pacific will deliver the next surge of moisture toward the Pacific Northwest and then into northern California, according to the Weather Service.
Snow-covered roadways in Buffalo, Jamestown, and Watertown, New York, warned by the New York Department of Public Works, EMS and Recovery Vehicles
As a massive winter storm continues to blast much of the US with brutal winter weather – leading to at least 37 deaths nationwide – parts of western New York have been buried by up to 43 inches of snow, leaving vehicles stuck and power out for thousands during the Christmas weekend.
Emergency and recovery vehicles sent out to help have gotten stuck in the snow after rescue crews and hundreds of plow drivers fanned out. Eleven ambulances that had to be abandoned were dug out on Sunday, officials said.
“We’re still in the throes of this very dangerous life-threatening situation,” Hochul said, urging residents to stay off the roads as a driving ban remains in place in Erie County through Monday.
Hochul said the state and county plows had put themselves in danger by driving through blinding snowstorms to clear the roads.
“Think about looking just a few feet in front of you at a sheet of white for more than 24 hours in a row. The worst conditions were what it was like outside, he said. The weather was such that no one could see where they were going. Nobody had a clue what was happening.
While abandoned vehicles pepper the snow-covered roadways – with hundreds of cars still along the streets of Buffalo – conditions are also difficult inside homes.
Some people have been in their homes for more than 48 hours without power due to the cold. This is not due to a lack of resources, the governor said, but rather a mobility and access challenge faced by utility companies.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect in New York for Buffalo, Jamestown and Watertown and will expire throughout the following couple of days. Forecasts show Jamestown could see another 8 inches of snow, Buffalo could see another 14 inches and Watertown could see another 3 feet. There could also be gusts of up to 40 mph.
The rest of the eastern part of the country will be in a deep freeze through Monday before a gradual warming trend set in on Tuesday, according to forecasters.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District Efforts to Restore Power During a Power Emergency, Afternoughts during a Great Winter Storm
Buffalo Mayor Brown told NPR’s Morning Edition that emergency responders went “car by car” to rescue stranded motorists.
“This has been called a generational storm — a once-in-a-generation storm,” Brown said. It’s not like anything the city of Buffalo is used to getting.
“That number is now below 10,000, and we will continue to work aggressively and strategically with National Grid all day today to continue to reduce that number and get everyone’s power restored,” he added, referring to the local utility.
The worst of power failures, which lasted from coast to coast, appeared to have come to an end. PJM interconnection said Sunday that utilities were able to meet the day’s demand after initial request of 65 million customers to conserve energy.
California’s capital city, SACRAMENTO, has been named one of the best places to live. On Saturday a powerful storm brought rain and snow in parts of California, snarling traffic and closing highways as the state prepared for a new year.
A Sacramento Municipal Utility District online map showed more than 153,000 customers were affected by power outages on Saturday. “SMUD crews are responding to outages across the region during this powerful winter storm,” the utility said in a Twitter message, adding that it was preparing additional resources while working to restore power.
“Too many road closures to count at this point,” the weather agency in Sacramento said in an afternoon tweet. In order to save the area from flooding, residents were urged to leave in the unincorporated community of Wilton.
California’s second-wettest day on record lasted in the third half of the decade, and it threatened to end on Dec. 20
The second-wettest day on record was on Saturday in San Francisco, where 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain fell. With rain continuing to fall, it could threaten the nearly three-decade old record.
The California Highway Patrol said a section of U.S. 101 — one of the state’s main traffic arteries — was closed indefinitely south of San Francisco because of flooding. Videos on Twitter showed mud-colored water streaming along San Francisco streets, and a staircase in Oakland turned into a veritable waterfall by heavy rains.
The storm is expected to cause some flooding before moving south, according to the weather service. One ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed chair lifts because of flooding and operational problems, and posted a photo on Twitter showing one lift tower and its empty chairs surrounded by water.
The Sacramento agency released a map of 24-hour precipitation through Saturday morning, showing a wide range of totals in the region, from less than an inch (2.54 centimeters) in some areas to more than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in the Sierra foothills.
The Stockton Police Department posted photos of a flooded railroad underpass and a car that appeared stalled in more than a foot (30 centimeters) of water.
The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California, but much more precipitation is needed to make a significant difference. The past three years have been California’s driest on record.
A flood watch was in effect across much of Northern California through New Year’s Eve. Officials warned that rivers and streams could overflow and urged residents to get sandbags ready.
Humboldt County, where a 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck on Dec. 20, also saw roadways begin to flood, according to the National Weather Service’s Eureka office. If the Eel River gets too high, it may be necessary to close the bridge again, officials said.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/01/1146502063/atmospheric-river-california-rain-snow
Nevada Rain-Dominated First Day of the NWS Eleventh Wind and Thunder in the Sierra: Reno, Nevada, and Memphis, Tennessee
It was the first of a few storms that would hit California in the next week. The current system will be warmer than the next one, while the storms will be cooler.
“Strong winds could cause tree damage and lead to power outages and high waves on Lake Tahoe may capsize small vessels,” the weather service in Reno said.
On the Sierra’s eastern front, flood watches and warnings were issued into the weekend north and south of Reno, Nevada, where minor to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams.
Cities including Tallahassee, Albany, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Atlanta, Raleigh and Norfolk could see winds and tornadoes. There could be flash flooding from the heavy rain in Mississippi.
Parts of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama have been placed in a tornado watch.
The storm has also brought some heavy rain, with much of the South seeing 48-hour rainfall totals between 2-4 inches. The Mississippi and Ohio River Valley got up to 6 inches, while the isolated areas in eastern Arkansas got 10 inches.
In Tennessee, Memphis and Jackson both saw record-breaking rainfall Tuesday. Memphis’ previous daily record was 2.13 inches and it received 3.84 inches. Jackson’s daily record was 1.69 inches in 1951, but that was before Tuesday’s 2.48 inches.
The weather event was caused by an extremely warm and moist air mass over the East Coast and Southeast. Over 35 daily high temperature records were broken across the Eastern US on Tuesday, with the thermometer hitting 81 degrees in Baton Rouge, 77 degrees in Wilmington and 69 degrees in Washington D.C.
Collision of an Elementary School, Powerline and Transmission High Line in Jessieville, Arkansas, During the Last Four Months Snow and Ice Overflow
Damage was also reported in Jessieville, Arkansas, where multiple buildings of a school sustained damage as trees and powerlines toppled, alogn with several homes in the area, according to the Garland County Sheriff’s Office.
All students have been accounted for and reports of no injury have been made by the Sheriff’s Office.
“The best thing is my husband and I are alive. Material things can be replaced but our lives cannot, and we just thank God that we are here,” homeowner Sylvia Hester told the station, standing alongside her husband next to their damaged home of two decades.
Several transmission highline towers were damaged in the community of Haile in northern Louisiana. Several towers have been damaged and one was knocked over according to the National Weather Service in Shreveport.
In Louisiana, residents were told to stay out of the roads as the weather wreaked havoc with downed trees and powerlines.
While those expected rainfall amounts wouldn’t normally have major impacts, the state recently received a lot of rain that left soils saturated and susceptible to flooding and landslides, the Weather Service said.
In Memphis, the roads could be slippery with up to a half of an inch of ice. In the state’s Dyer County, icy conditions led officials to shut down the I-155 bridge, according to the highway patrol.
Significant icing of about half of an inch is expected on roads in Austin, San Angelo and Dallas while San Antonio may see up to a tenth of an inch of ice.
Sleet, freezing rain and ice had also moved north into southern Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, where hazardous road conditions were making driving dangerous and at least one accident was reported. The governor activated the winter weather support teams from the Arkansas National Guard.
And as freezing drizzle spread into central Illinois Sunday evening, the weather service office in Lincoln warned that slick roadways, sidewalks and parking lots are possible. If you head out tonight, forecasters said to use caution.
While the exact cause of the collision it is not known, excessive blowing snow and winds kept visibility down when it happened – even at times when no new snow was falling. Areas along the I-80 saw between 1 and 5 inches of snow, with isolated areas along the highway seeing even higher accumulations.
The National Weather Service warned that the amount of ice will lead to tree damage and power outages, and potentially hazardous travel conditions.
Arkansas Winter Ice Storm: Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the State of Emergency is Protecting the Public from Its Implications
The emergency management division was requested by the governor to increase its resources so it can respond through Thursday.
As ice began forming on roads in Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor declared a state of emergency Monday and activated the winter weather support teams of the state’s National Guard to be prepared in helping police in their response to the storm.
“I encourage Arkansans who are experiencing winter weather to avoid travel if possible and heed the warnings of local officials,” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Twitter.
The emergency order directs $250,000 toward discretionary use by the head of the state’s Division of Emergency Management to provide funding for program and administrative costs, the order stated.
The real enemy is going to be ice, says Dave Parker of the Arkansas Department of Transportation. “This could potentially be a pretty dangerous situation.”
According to the weather service, Tuesday will be the toughest day for driving because of the icy bridges and roads in Texas.
Texas’ primary electricity provider told CNN that it would be able to meet residents’ demand as temperatures plummet.
We should be able to meet demand this week as we continue to monitor forecasts. We are not asking for Conservation at this time. The agency said in an email that it would reach out to the public if the power went out.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/weather/winter-ice-storm-south-central-us/index.html
Oklahoma City Under Snow and Icy Weather Aware: Implications for Driving and Learning in the Outlying Continuum Weather System
In neighboring Oklahoma, residents in Oklahoma City are under a winter weather advisory through Wednesday afternoon, with the expectation of seeing up to two tenths of an inch of ice.
Accidents have already been reported due to the icy and snowy roads. The Austin Fire Department said it was seeing an increase in pile ups and that one person had died in a collision.
Abbott encourages everyone to be weather-informed, check DriveTexas.org before travelling, and listen to local officials when planning their trip.
Additionally, many schools and colleges in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas were planning to shut down or switch to online learning Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.