Atmospheric River Flood Watches as a Signature of Walloped West Coast-to-coast Tropical Cyclots
The atmospheric river – a long, narrow region in the atmosphere that can transport moisture thousands of miles – is the reason flood watches were issued for over 7 million people across much of the West Coast, including Seattle and San Francisco.
The coast-to-coast storm – which walloped the West over the weekend – is expected to strengthen as it pushes eastward Tuesday, and stall across the central Plains into Thursday, snarling travel amid blowing snow and freezing rain.
California braced for more stormy weather with rain starting to sweep into the northern part of the state and the San Francisco Bay area on Saturday, preceding a series of powerful incoming Pacific storms and raising the potential for road flooding, rising rivers and mud slides on soils already saturated after days of rain.
In some cities, winds reached Category 2 hurricane levels. A 104-mph gust was recorded in North Bonneville, Washington, as well as a gust of 105 mph in Mount Hood, Oregon. On Tuesday, gusts of up to 90 mph were reported in several cities, including Walker, California.
The first snow in Minneapolis could accumulate to 7 inches. The second snowfall round is expected to begin Wednesday afternoon and last through Thursday, when another 10 to 20 inches could fall. The three-day total could be between 18 and 25 inches.
The First Big Storm in Sonoma County: Snow, Ice and High Winds Can Lead to Flooding and Debris During the Fall and Winter
They can lead to perilous driving conditions under low visibility and snow-covered roads, but can also lead to confusion for people walking or driving if they don’t know where they are.
While it’s not uncommon for tornadoes to occur in December, they are more common during the fall and winter in the Southeast and Mississippi Valley.
From Tuesday to Wednesday, there is a threat of flash flooding from the lower Mississippi Valley to the central Gulf Coast.
“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.
The Caltrans said on Saturday that they were closing the long section of I-80 from its junction in Northern California to Stateline due to blowing snow and near-zero visibility.
The Nebraska Department of Transportation closed stretches of Interstate 80 and Interstate 76 in western as heavy snow and high winds made travel dangerous. The State Patrol in Nebraska urged people to stay off the road after several crashes and jackknifed semitrailers overnight.
The forest service said a lot of snow and strong winds will cause dangerous conditions in the mountains west of Lake Tahoe.
During the late night hours, a flash flood warning remained for around 1 million people in Los Angeles, Glendale and Santa Clarita through Saturday morning.
After days of fierce winds, toppled trees and downed wires, more than 120,000 California utility customers remained without electricity, according to PowerOutage.us. The major east-west highway, I-5, was closed due to heavy snow and ice in Tejon Pass.
San Francisco Bay Area officials reported power outages and fallen trees, some of which damaged cars and homes. In Monte Rio, a small town along the Russian River in Sonoma County, firefighters responded to several reports of downed trees crashing into homes in 50 mph wind gusts.
The Monte Rio Fire Department Chief told KRON-TV there were no injuries reported after four down trees damaged houses in the area.
This is the first big storm we’ve had in years and all of the trees were dry. They’re starting to topple over because they’re filling up with water.
California’s December 1st Big Snowfall Storm: Snowfall and Snowfall to Mount Baldy, Northridge, and Westridge
According to the National Weather Service in San, the big snowfall totals were 5 feet to the Snow Valley, 57 inches to the Bear mountain Snow Summit, 50 to 55 inches to the Wrightwood Acorn Canyon, and 45 to Green Valley Lake.
The storm also has brought heavy snow to parts of California that rarely see it. Mount Baldy — which sits east of Los Angeles, at just above 4,000 feet — could get a whopping 4.5 feet of snow by Saturday.
“The snowpack is about 225% of normal, so it’s more than twice what we’d be expecting this time in December,” said Mark Deutschendorf, forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Reno.
“It looks a lot like Christmas out here,” Deutschendorf said. “It didn’t come with a lot of wind, and it stuck to everything. It’s like a picture postcard.”
While he noted the snow totals so far are impressive, Deutschendorf said he is “cautiously optimistic” about this precipitation putting a big dent in the state’s drought.
The ski resort shared pictures of the thick snow on its website, saying that they were Buried.
This is definitely a big storm to remember. We 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.
South Dakota Highways Are Almost Impossible Tuesday and Thursday, and Public Facilities in the Twin Cities will be closed until Monday morning due to Freezing Rain and High Winds
The National Weather Service office in Rapid City, South Dakota, said travel through the area will be nearly impossible Tuesday and Wednesday, and possibly into Thursday.
A 200-mile (322-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 90 across western South Dakota was closed Tuesday morning due to “freezing rain, heavy snow, and high winds,” the state’s Department of Transportation said. The department said that secondary highways would likely become “impassable.”
The worst impacts are expected to begin late Wednesday and Thursday in the Twin Cities region. Heavy snow is expected to blanket the grounds very quickly, and be accompanied by strong winds, making traveling a life-threatening task for thousands.
In Rhode Island, where Gov. Daniel McKee also warned of a difficult morning commute, all Providence schools were closed Tuesday. Connecticut also announced closures of schools in Hartford as well as all state office buildings as the state readied for a significant snowstorm to come through that could bring heavy snowfall between 5-7 inches and isolated amounts up to 10 inches.
These areas need the moisture and have seen great relief to drought conditions in the past week. Tennessee, for example, went from 96% of the state under drought to being at 46% this week.
Multiple tornadoes in and around Farmerville, Missouri, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Services
The weather service had warned of a “confirmed tornado” in the Oklahoma town of Wayne just after 5 am Tuesday. Video footage from Oklahoma TV station KOCO showed substantial damage to a home in Wayne, which is about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.
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.
There were dozens of tornadoes reported across Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma. Three people died in Louisiana due to the storms.
“There’s essentially no one traveling right now,” said Justin McCallum, a manager at the Flying J truck stop at Ogallala, Nebraska. He said he got to work while the roads were closed but won’t be able to get home on Tuesday. “I can see to the first poles outside the doors, but I can’t see the rest of the lot right outside. I’ll probably just get a motel room here tonight.”
The South Dakota Outburst of the Mid-Inflationary Snow and Ice Storm on Tuesday, Dec. 1: Flight Uncertainty, Traffic, and Vehicle Safety
This is a “We are not kidding” storm according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. People were urged to stock up on essentials and stay home.
“It will be a busy week while this system moves across the country,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s headquarters in Maryland.
In northern Utah, a tour bus crashed Monday morning as snow and frigid temperatures blanketed the region. The bus flipped onto its side in Tremonton after the driver lost control while switching lanes, the state’s Highway Patrol said in a statement. The Highway Patrol said some passengers were seriously injured.
More than 1,300 U.S. flights were canceled Tuesday morning, and over 1,900 were delayed as of 11:30 a.m. ET, according to the flight tracker FlightAware. Most of the flight disruptions were at airports in Texas: Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport.
A young boy was found dead in the woods where his home was destroyed in Four Forts, Louisiana, about ten miles from Shreveport, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator said in a statement.
The roof of the service center was torn off and parts of the roof were hanging from powerlines, according to Trent Kelley.
Photos sent by the city showed downed power lines, trees that fell, buildings, and a semitrailer that appeared to be tossed around a parking lot.
In Colorado, all roads were closed in the northeast quadrant of the state. 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 Snow, Ice and Rain System Prepared for a Category I Snowstorm in the Deep South of the Interstellar Medium
There is snow, ice and rain in the Twin Cities, according to the National Weather Service. The state of Minnesota was expecting a lull Wednesday followed by another round of snow.
The weekend before Christmas is predicted to be a dangerous time for travel in interior New England after a nor’easter left more than a foot of snow.
As New York braces for snow rates of at least one inch per hour, frigid rain and strong gusts of wind, Gov. Kathy Hochul urged residents to prepare for hazardous travel conditions.
Hochul said in a Thursday statement that everyone in the affected regions should avoid unnecessary travel. Stay off of the roads, and if possible, work from home so you can keep watch over your family.
In anticipation of the winter storm that will hit the country next week, six airlines – United, American, Delta, Southwest and Jet Blue – have issued travel waivers at dozens of airports across the country so that travelers won’t have to go.
The storm system has left a dangerous path since the beginning of the week, causing severe weather in different parts of the country.
A massive winter storm battered the US on Friday with frigid temperatures, high winds and heavy snow, leaving at least nine people dead, knocking out power to over a million customers and wrecking holiday plans from coast to coast.
And in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, the storm brought a quarter inch of ice was reported Thursday morning to the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland, and about a tenth of an inch had built up in parts of Virginia.
Powerful winds whirled by blizzard conditions knocked down power lines in the Upper Midwest as temperatures in some areas plummeted to near or below freezing, leaving thousands without proper heating.
The spread of snow and ice in New York City over the past few days, with an example of a woman and a child killed in Louisiana
In Louisiana, a woman and her child were killed Tuesday when a tornado destroyed their home.
There is very little snow this season in New York. The weather service is forecasting 4 to 6 inches of snow and ice in New York City from Monday evening through midday Tuesday, along with winds gusting to 35 mph.
“Power outages and areas of tree damage will be possible across these areas [from the Great Lakes into the Northeast], and especially for the locations seeing a combination of stronger winds and accumulating ice,” the National Weather Service predicted.
More than 270,000 homes and businesses were without power in the US as of Monday, with most of them being in Michigan, where a new round of ice and snow is anticipated on Monday.
State police in Vermont said officers responded to a multitude of car crashes Friday and advised drivers to slow down. The roads were closed due to the storm impact.
The weather service said more than 19 inches of snow fell in Land grove and Ludlow during a 36-hour period.
Plus, up to 2 feet of snow can accumulate in areas near or south of Buffalo, New York. “These snow bands are likely to be very narrow and lead to drastically changing conditions over a short distance,” the weather service added.
The weather service said snow showers are coming to an end in the region and only light scattered snow showers are expected through Saturday morning.
Many will experience a cold holiday unlike any other: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tallahassee, Florida, are all forecast to have their coldest high temperature ever recorded on December 24, according to the National Weather Service.
Those expected conditions have put more than two million people are under blizzard warnings across parts of Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.
On Tuesday, the sprawling weather system is delivering dangerously cold temperatures and snow to Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and most of Minnesota, where high temperatures will remain below zero, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service.
In some areas it can take less than a minute for the air to feel cold and there can be frost on skin in less than five minutes.
A winter storm warning is in effect for western Washington, including Seattle, until 7 p.m. PST Friday. IceAccumulations could reach a quarter of an inch, if additional snow and ice are added to it. Precipitation will begin as snow and transition to sleet/freezing rain and then finally to rain. More power outages are likely and travel will be made very difficult.
As the storm heads east this week, it is likely to make travel difficult in many places with people warned to be prepared to make changes.
Chicago is expected to be one of the hardest hit cities, with the winter storm watch in effect through Friday evening. With blizzard conditions likely, holiday travel could grind to a halt for many seeking to celebrate with family and loved ones.
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. A wind chill watch for Amarillo, Texas, is in effect from Wednesday night through 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. To keep pipes and faucets free of drips, cover pipes and let them do it.
The latest bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS) names the cause as a “strong arctic high pressure system,” which swept down from Canada on Tuesday and appears poised to march towards the Southeast on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving a wake of life-threatening weather systems across 17 states.
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.
As of Tuesday morning, air travel appeared largely undisturbed by the approaching polar front, with more than 575 delays and 285 cancellations at airports across the U.S., according to the tracking site Flight Aware.
Denver Snowfall Forecast for Thursday – the Coolest day of the Millibarrier-Monte-Carlo Event – as a Bomb Cyclone
Those venturing outside should dress in layers, cover their skin and change into dry clothing 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 minus 14 on Thursday. The weather service says that the day would be the hottest in 32 years.
The weather service said travel can become very difficult or impossible during that time. If you’re stuck with wind chills in the 30 below to 45 below zero range, this event is life-threatening.
The weather service office in Chicago warned that there could be significant impacts to the evening peak travel window if dangerous conditions are developed on Thursday afternoon.
The snow could fall as far south as Jackson, Mississippi, Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee on Thursday. Little to no accumulation is expected for most of the southern cities, however, Nashville could pick up about an inch of snow.
Friday: The storm is expected to become a “bomb cyclone” Thursday evening into Friday. A bomb cyclone is when a storm rapidly intensifies – and drops 24 millibars (a term used to measure atmospheric pressure) in 24 hours.
The storm will reach the pressure equivalent of a Category 3 Hurricane as it moves towards the Great Lakes, with the weather service describing the event as a “once-in-a-generation” event.
Predictions for Tuesday and Sunday Nights in Atlanta, Georgia, and Kentucky, with a Snow Breakdown due to Historical Low Temperatures
There is a case in which snow totals may not reflect the whole story. Poor visibility and slick spots on the roads can be caused by snow and wind when combined with brutally cold temperatures. The sudden arrival of these conditions can increase the danger,” the weather service explained.
Between Friday and Monday, Jackson and Birmingham will be below freezing for more than 80 hours. Houston could sit below freezing for 46 hours between Thursday and Saturday.
By sunrise, the temperature is expected to be around 10 degrees below zero and gusty north winds will create a wind chill of around minus 25. Tomorrow’s temperature will probably be below zero degrees.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Wednesday declared a state of emergency due to the upcoming “historic low temperatures” across the state, with near zero or negative digit wind chills by midday on Friday.
The declaration will help “ensure that essential supplies, especially propane can be delivered for both commercial and residential needs,” the governor told reporters.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency, with wind gusts expected to reach 40 to 50 mph on Friday and minus 10 to minus 26 degrees wind chills expected on Saturday. Beshear asked residents to stay off the roads and use a backup heat source.
Hundreds of miles of road were closed and flights were canceling at a rapid rate. Part of the Long Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road was temporarily shut down due to flooding.
“Christmas is canceled,” said Mick Saunders, a Buffalo, New York, resident who was two hours into blizzard conditions that are expected to last through Sunday morning. “All family and friends agreed it’s safer this way.”
Three killed in a Dodge Caravan accident on icy roads in the state of Kansas and one more on Kansas Highway Patrol’s Twitter feed
Three people were killed in separate accidents on Wednesday in north-central Kansas and one death was confirmed as weather-related, two of them needed more investigation according to the Kansas Highway Patrol.
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. “The Dodge went down the embankment, over the cement retaining wall and landed upside down, submerged in Brush Creek,” police said in a statement.
“The National Weather Service’s Watch Warning graphic depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” the agency said Thursday.
“I called it a kitchen sink storm because it is throwing everything at us but the kitchen sink,” Hochul said at a press conference Friday afternoon. Mother nature wreaked havoc on us this weekend as we had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures and so much more.
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.
“My mother lives about 30 minutes away and so does my sister and her family, in the other direction,” he said. We all stay in our houses until Monday when Christmas is over and we can enjoy the rest of the day.
On Christmas day, it’s cold in a lot of Florida. It will be the warmest Christmas Day since 1983 in some areas.
The First Day of Winter Break: An Ice Breakout at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and the Status of the Seattle Metro Area Transportation Network
More than 680 flights within, into or out of the US scheduled have been canceled Thursday, according to the tracking site FlightAware. More than 1,600 flights were canceled Wednesday.
There is still a chance of more light snow in some parts of southeast Michigan. Friday will be a cold day across the state. Forecasters expect the weather to warm up by Sunday.
• 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.
The ice caused the closure of runways at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where nearly half of flights going into and out of the airport were canceled, according to FlightAware. Further, all express services for Sound Transit, a regional transportation network in the Seattle metro area, were suspended Friday due to the icy conditions.
Warm thoughts of young romance — not the cold, harsh possibilities of a Midwestern road trip in winter — were on Dawn O’Hair’s mind as she left Chicago for Indianapolis to see her boyfriend.
She had a weekend visit in the winter of 1997-98. O’Hair returned to her job in Chicago early on Monday morning after a fight with her boyfriend.
How to Get Around a Blown Snowstorm and What to Do If You’re Going Out Of The Cold Air, It’s All You Need
“I ended up in whiteout conditions. She said she had trouble controlling her car. The wind was crazy and it was blowing fast. The snow was blowing sideways. It was super hard to see. It was really, really bad.
“I got nervous and decided to pull over [but] my car got stuck,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do. I got out and tried to figure out a way to get traction, but without luck.”
And there she was — in a real mess. She hadn’t checked the forecast. She had nothing particularly warm to wear. There were no blankets. There is no winter kit. She had just her car and time to think about how things went wrong.
And on the first week of winter in 2022, a monster “bomb cyclone” with possibly dangerous blizzards had almost the entire United States on icy pins and needles.
Unless you live in a year-round warm climate and plan to stay there, it’s important to know how winter storms behave, how to avoid and prepare for them, and heaven forbid, what to do in the worst-case scenario.
A large amount of snow, winds over 35 mph, visibility of less than a quarter mile, and a storm with at least three hours’ worth of precipitation are what the National Weather Service says is needed for a perfect storm. A ground blizzard has no falling snow; instead, it blows around snow that had fallen before the blizzard kicked up.
You should know that when there is a lot of snow in winter, it can happen in places that are usually hot.
If you’re taking a road trip, “begin checking weather conditions about a week in advance of your trip and make sure to check again each day as the weather forecasts become more fine-tuned,” Muccilli said.
If you are crossing through a high mountain pass, you should check the weather along your entire route.
If you’re going hiking or camping, make sure to check the forecasts, said the California executive director of the National Wildlife Federation.
It’s not necessary to have a forecast check if it’s fall, spring or summer in your location. They can lull you into a false sense of security because your guard might not be up as much as the dead of winter, Pratt said.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/how-to-survive-blizzard-weather-wellness/index.html
How to Avoid a Blizzard: A Sierra Nevada Adventurer’s Advice for Everybody Else Who Walks on a Mountain
She lives on the border of a national parks in the Sierra Nevadas, which is where you can start a hike on a warm day, only to face a dangerous wintry blast later in the day.
“Blizzards are most common in the upper Midwest and Great Plains in the United States, but can occur in most areas of the country except the Gulf Coast and coastal California,” Muccilli said. Elsewhere in the world , you’ll encounter them most often in Russia, central and northeastern Asia (including China), northern Europe, Canada and Antarctica.
Remember O’Hair’s situation. It’s important to bring along winter clothing even if it’s not that cold or threatening as you depart or you just plan on staying in your car.
The Massachusetts government website says Layering is important, and you should dress in loose-fitting clothing instead of a heavy layer.
If you’re outside, the Red Cross also says to cover your mouth to protect your lungs from severely cold air. Don’t gulp in deep breaths of frigid air and talk as little as possible.
Proper footwear, enough water, and a whistle. A first aid kit– A map or other navigation tools– If you are trapped in a mountain, you need a transceiver to send your location. A shovel and a probe are needed to locate your exact location. An airbag pack to increase your chances of staying near the surface of an avalanche.
Otherwise, Muccilli said stay inside your vehicle except long enough to set road flares or put out a colorful cloth to make yourself visible. Information about your situation should be given to the emergency services.
If the conditions are safe, you can attempt to shovel out your tires by throwing kitty litter, sand and salt in the back of your car. Roadside assistance or emergency services can be contacted if this doesn’t work.
The NWS advises not to leave your vehicle to walk for help during a blizzard. You could get disoriented. You should run the motor about 10 minutes each hour for heat, it says, but open the window a crack for fresh air. If possible, keep snow away from the exhaust pipe.
Whether you are camping, hiking, backcountry skiing or doing other similar types of outside activities, carry the correct safety gear. Muccilli said this might include but is not limited to:
Rick Shandler of the National Ski Patrol says that people should check the local weather forecast before going to the ski resort.
“People want to get the most value out of their lift tickets and may stay out past what common sense dictates” when blizzards, dense fog or other bad weather is approaching, he said.
— A fully charged cell phone in an inner pocket. The cold can quickly sap your battery if it’s in an outer pocket. Before you leave the resort, you need to add the ski patrol number to your phone.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/how-to-survive-blizzard-weather-wellness/index.html
How to Survive a Blizzard Weather Wellness: A Tribute to the Mt. Washington Cog Railway
In her college days, the closest she ever came to dying in a storm was back in 1990. It was in June of all months, while she was hiking with two friends on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
With the wind whipping and whiteout conditions of a blizzard, “the only thing that saved us is we found the tracks to the Mount Washington Cog Railway. So we had breadcrumbs to follow. If we hadn’t been near those train tracks, we would have hunkered down. The wind was so fierce it had shredded our rain gear.”
“It’s ill-advised to walk yourself out of a blizzard. When it is cold, navigation is even more difficult and you burn more energy. You should find a shelter. If there is none to find, build a snow cave if there’s enough snow. Wait it out.”
See if you can make a lean-to, windbreak or snow cave for protection from the wind. Try to set a fire. If there are rocks nearby, put those around the fire to retain heat. Global Rescue says even low-hanging tree branches could provide some protection.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/how-to-survive-blizzard-weather-wellness/index.html
“Before the snowstorm, take your gloves”: Dawn O’Hair’s story during a recent Portland snowmobile ride with a young woman
— Strategic exercise: From time to time, move your arms, legs, fingers and toes to keep your blood pumping and stay warm. Don’t get too carried away. It’s possible that a heart attack may be caused by the cold and hard labor. Sweating could lead to a chill and hypothermia,” the NWS website says.
It was a good decision for Dawn O’Hair to make up for the lack of winter preparation she lacked with good luck and good connections in northern Indiana.
Less than an hour later, a young woman pulled up and offered her a ride to a gas station. A man who was a police officer took a woman to an Indiana state police post. From the post, she was able to reach a cousin to give her refuge and was transported to that cousin’s house via snowmobile.
I would have made better planning decisions if I paid more attention to the weather forecast. I would probably have left the day before, but it was young love, ya know?
Strong winds in Portland could knock down trees that have been weakened by weather extremes in recent years, arborist Colin Bourgeois told CNN affiliate KATU.
“The consecutive dry summers that we’ve had, especially the heat events like the heat dome, that really damages trees and it takes up so much of their energy to fuel their immune systems to fight off pathogens,” Bourgeois said.
Los Angeles Counties Revisited with 2.12 inches of Saturday Night Rain, Breaking the Record for the Most Rainy December Day on Record in Los Angeles
Portland recorded 2.12 inches of rain, breaking the old record of 1.08 inches set on December 26, 1996. Monday was the third-rainiest December day on record in Portland.
The weather service had warned about possible overnight flash floods, mudslides, and other related phenomena in Los Angeles County that were burned by the fires. The threat was present in downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and many suburbs.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles says goodbye to the warmth. “Big drop in temperatures on track between today and tomorrow (Tuesday). Expect 15-20 degrees of cooling thanks to the approaching storm system.”
The system that left thousands without power in Oregon and closed an interstate in Colorado will sweep through the East on Friday and Saturday. Thunderstorms will hit the South on Friday and then reach the Northeast as rain showers Saturday.
New Year’s Eve celebrations will likely be disrupted in New York City and Washington DC. Los Angeles, too, is expected to ring in a soggy new year.
The entire Bay Area and Central Valley have been put on a flood watch. The calendar will turn to23) in 2023 if rain is not easing Saturday evening.
The slight risk area highlights places with high soil water, burn scars and urban areas.
State Highway Patrol, Sacramento County, and Ski Resorts Closed South on Interstate-70, California, and One Ski Resort Rescenlt Across the Sierra Foothills
An eastbound stretch of Interstate-70 in Colorado reopened Thursday after a nine-hour closure left drivers stranded amid bouts of heavy mountain snow, widespread rain and gusty winds.
Dangerous conditions Tuesday in Oregon left five people dead, including a 4-year-old girl, after severe weather caused trees to fall on passing vehicles, state police said.
“Too many road closures to count at this point,” the weather agency in Sacramento said in an afternoon tweet. Sacramento County urged residents in the unincorporated community of Wilton to evacuate, warning that flooded roadways could “cut off access to leave the area.”
The second-wettest day on record, behind a November 1994 deluge, was recorded Saturday in downtown San Francisco. 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 could drop over an ounce of rain in the area 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.
A map shows a range of totals from less than an inch in some areas to more than five inches in the Sierra foothills.
California Ice Storms That Haven’t Blowed for Three Years: The Stockton Police Department, the Austin Fire Department, and the Los Alamos
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.
It was nice to get a bit of rain in California, but more precipitation is needed to make a difference. The past three years have been the driest on record in California.
The earthquake that struck in Humboldt County flooded the roads according to the National Weather Service. A bridge that was temporarily closed last week due to earthquake damage may be closed again if the Eel River, which it crosses, gets too high, officials said.
It was the beginning of storms expected to hit the state over the next week. The current system should be warm and the next week’s storms should be cold, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service said that strong winds could cause tree damage, and that waves on Lake Tahoe could capsize small vessels.
There was a flood watch issued for the north and south of Reno, Nevada on the Sierra’s eastern front, where there were warnings for minor to moderate flooding along some rivers and streams.
State climatologist Michael Anderson told a news briefing late Saturday that officials were closely monitoring Monday’s incoming storm and another behind it and were keeping an eye on three other systems farther out in the Pacific.
The ice storm stretching from Texas to Tennessee is expected to continue for at least Thursday morning, with the National Weather Service warning of possible power outages as a result of the ice.
As the day wore on, the NWS predicted that road conditions would become more “treacherous” as sleet and freezing rain fell.
There are a number of accidents that have already been reported because of the icy and snowy roads. The Austin Fire Department said it was seeing a spike in multiple-car pile-ups causing significant injuries and that at least one person had died in a collision.
“As we mobilize the resources Texans need to stay safe, I encourage everyone to remain weather-aware, check DriveTexas.org before traveling, and heed the guidance from local officials,” Abbott said in a statement.
Forecasts for Outflows in the Southeast Tuesday through Wednesday, with a minimum of three feet of snow and record-breaking temperatures across the United States
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.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article originally appeared in the weekly weather newsletter, the CNN Weather Brief, which is released every Monday. During storms you can sign up to receive them every week.
The Pacific Northwest could see winds gusts of up to 60 mph, while the highest mountains in theCascade Mountains could see three feet of snow through Tuesday. Seas just offshore will be as high as 20 feet, bringing large, breaking waves to coastal areas, causing beach erosion.
“This amount of snow will result in the passes needing to be closed for a period of time which will impact traffic getting to and from Los Angeles,” The National Weather Service office in Hanford, California said.
Blowing snow and winds of more than 70 mph will create blinding conditions in southern Wyoming, which has nearly two feet of snow. The weather service also warns of wind chills falling to 25 degrees below zero.
We could set more than 130 high temperature records across the Southeast Tuesday through Friday, with more than 40 record low temperatures possibly broken across the Northwest.
Whether you are buried under three feet of snow and experiencing frigid temperatures or basking in the sunshine and record warmth, this week will touch nearly all corners of the country with wild weather.
It will FEEL like early summer in the Southeast and up into the Midwest this week as 150 million Americans see a high above 70 degrees. The contrast across the country will be stark, as highs in the Dakotas will be below zero and highs in central Florida surge into the 90s.
There is a chance of rain and storms across the Midwest and Plains late Tuesday night into Wednesday, the prediction center said. The Upper Midwest could also see heavy rainfall and severe storms beginning Wednesday.
State Department Effort to Prepare for Snow and High Winds in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with the Indirect Message from the State Governor
High temperatures across the region will climb well into the 70s and 80s beginning Tuesday before peaking on Thursday, and cities across the Florida peninsula could reach into the 90s. These temperatures are running 20 to 35 degrees above normal and are typically highs seen in May or early June.
The state patrol, transportation department, and the National Guard were directed to be prepared to respond to storm impacts by the governor.
The city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Up to 4 inches of snow have already beenfalled in the state, and there’s also the likelihood of snow up to 16 inches, along with winds of 45 mph.
South Dakota’s governor announced Tuesday the closures of state government executive branch offices Wednesday in more than half of the state’s 66 counties, with plans for employees to work remotely. Additionally, Interstates 29 and 90 partially closed Tuesday night to prepare for the expected snow.
Eastern Wyoming College announced the closure of its main campus. The virtual learning day will go on as scheduled despite the hazardous weather and road conditions in the area.
As snow and high winds start to create whiteout conditions, residents of the Northern states are starting to hunker down.
As the schools in Minnesota announced they would be closing, the state governor said on his official website that he would direct the National Guard, transportation and patrol to be ready to respond.
A Snowstorm in the Northern Rockies and Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, with Temperatures in the 70s and 80s in Southern California
As temperatures in Southern California might not rise above 50 degrees, parts of the Southeast and mid-Atlantic are expected to see highs in the 70s and 80s on Wednesday.
“The forecast temperature gradient from the Mid-Atlantic into New England Thursday is worth noting, as highs in the 80s in Virginia drop to the single digits in northern Maine,” the NWS said in its bulletin.
The state highway patrol said that search and rescue was under way in several counties in Wyoming to recover motorists that became trapped in heavy snow.
As of Thursday, the Minnesota State Patrol had reported more than 160 vehicle crashes and dozens of cars spinning off roads because of the 3-7 inches of snow that fell there. Lt. Gordon said in a series of TWEETS.
In Wisconsin – similarly hit by snow since Tuesday in the north and freezing rain Wednesday in the south – Gov. Tony Evers declared a statewide energy emergency Wednesday, saying it will “allow for a more swift and efficient restoration of any electric power outages throughout the state,” a news release from his office said.
While much of the Northeast, with the exception of western New York, has had nearly no snow this winter, the western US is a different story as feet of snow blanketed parts of southern California over the weekend, with blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings in effect again Monday.
A winter storm and heat wave in the south caused a 100 degree difference in temperature between the Northern Rockies and the South.
• Wisconsin airport preemptively closed: Green Bay’s international airport canceled the remainder of its daily flights Wednesday evening and most of its flights Thursday morning.
The governor said that state offices would be closed because of the storm and it is expected to bring a lot of snow.
The Mid-Atlantic Region of Michigan had a Record-High February Temperature on Wednesday and Thursday, and the U.S. Department of Emergency Management warned
Atlanta was 81 degrees on Wednesday, an all-time record in February. Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Nashville all had highs of 80 degrees on Wednesday.
Just as noteworthy were the unusual warm temperatures seen in Southern and Mid-Atlantic states, the National Weather Service said. On Thursday, both Nashville, Tenn., and Richmond, Va., saw temperatures hit 85 and 83 degrees respectively.
On Friday, forecasters also urged mariners near the coast of the state’s San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties to “seek safe harbor immediately” — warning of severe thunderstorms that could produce sudden waterspouts, powerful enough to “easily overturn boats.” The two counties are also at risk of seeing small tornadoes on land.
San Jose, Napa and other parts of the region have been issued a freeze warning for Friday evening through Saturday morning. The sub-freezing conditions will be especially dangerous to unsheltered populations, crops and unprotected outdoor plumbing.
It was risky for infrastructure and animals to travel in Michigan because of the rain and ice. Port Austin and Midland saw the most snow, with 8 inches and 8.9 inches respectively. Meanwhile southern portions of the state saw high accumulations of ice, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service issued a flash flood warning for the Los Angeles-area after bouts of heavy rain turned some roads into rivers.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue through the weekend over areas at lower elevations as overnight flash flooding was ongoing north and west of Los Angeles, the Weather Prediction Center said early Saturday.
The region will face back-to-back storms this week, with Saturday’s rain compounding the effects of possible flooding. The state was ravaged with deadly flooding in December and January.
Hundreds of thousands of people in the Midwest were hit by the same weather system that struck California and other states earlier this week.
The number of customers without power in Michigan went from 400,000 to almost half a million by early Saturday afternoon. The two main utilities in the state, DTE and Consumers Energy, have said they hope to have the lights back on for most of their customers by Sunday night.
DTE, one of Michigan’s largest electric providers, is restoring power to stricken areas but cautioned it will not be able to return service to most customers before Sunday.
California Highway Patrol warned against floods from a major winter storm that hadprompted blizzard and flood warnings Across the California Turnpike
In New England, icy conditions likely contributed to a massive 15-vehicle pileup on the Massachusetts Turnpike Thursday night, according to a tweet by the Massachusetts State Police.
LOS ANGELES — A powerful winter storm that swept down the West Coast with flooding and frigid temperatures shifted its focus to southern California on Saturday, piling up snow and swelling rivers with runoff.
The storm blanketed the region with warnings and flood advisories, but forecasters said the storm would go away later in the day.
The weather service said flooding was no longer a threat in Ventura County after 7 inches (180 cm) of rain fell on Saturday.
Brian Wheeler, a spokesman for Consumers Energy, said half an inch (1.27 centimeters) of ice weighed down some power lines — equivalent to the weight of a baby grand piano.
In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Allison Rinker was using a borrowed generator to keep her house warm after two nights in the cold and dark.
“We were all surviving, but spirits were low on the second day,” she said. After we were finally able to have one or two lights running, it turned out to be a complete flip in attitude.
She said that the ice falling from the trees was hitting their windshield so hard that she thought it was going to crack. “There’s just tree limbs everywhere, half of the trees just falling down. The destruction is insane.”
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/25/1159560284/a-major-winter-storm-has-prompted-blizzard-and-flood-warnings-across-california
High Temperatures in the U.S. and Canada with the Low-pressure System on Saturday and Sunday, and the Deadliest Snow on Record in Portland, Oregon
The weather service office in Las Vegas said the low-pressure system would bring rain and snow in southern Nevada and northwest Arizona on Saturday and Sunday.
The cold weather in the north and west caused different temperatures in the south. The high temperature for the U.S. on Friday was 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius) at Falcon Lake, Texas, while the low was minus-35 degrees Fahrenheit (1.7 Celsius) near Huntley, Montana.
There are at least three people who died in the storms. While in Rochester, Minn., a pedestrian was hit by a snowplow, a firefighter in Michigan came into contact with a downed power line. Authorities in Portland, Oregon, said a person died of hypothermia.
The city had its second-heaviest snow on record this week, with over a foot (30 centimeters), but icy roads wouldn’t thaw until Saturday.
Tim Varner sat huddled with blankets in a Portland storefront doorway shielding him from some of the wind, ice and snow. The 57 years old man was homeless for two decades and said it was hard to push a shopping cart with his things to a shelter.
Weather Forecasts for Yosemite Valley and Boston, South Carolina, During a Snowstorm with the McConnell Air Force Base
“It’s impossible,” he said. The snow built up on the wheels of the cart makes it difficult to get traction. You’re stuck.
In addition, there were several inches of rain in Holy Jim Canyon, Lower Silverado Canyon and Henshaw Dam, with more than three inches reported in Costa Mesa, Mount Woodson and Carlsbad Airport.
The storm put people in danger. There were rock slides and erosion from previous storms which resulted in the closing of State Route 33 in the Los Padres National Forest.
The Air Force unit at McConnell Air Force Base relocated most of its aircraft to protect them from damage so they can still be deployed if needed, according to the base.
A multi-day warning of a snowstorm remains in effect across the valley which will delay the reopening of the park, according to the park. Yosemite Valley could see as much as 55 to 84 inches of snow by Wednesday, the park said.
The weather experts will try to determine if the system can be categorized as a derecho, a windstorm that usually causes damage in one direction across a relatively straight path.
The students on the University of Oklahoma campus were ordered to take shelter when a tornado warning was issued for the area.
Roughly a dozen families displaced by a tornado in Liberal, Kansas, are being accommodated and about 10 trailers were also damaged, City Manager Rusty Varnado said. He said that at least one person has been injured by broken glass.
This week, the Great Lakes are poised to be hit all over again, including Michigan where about 146,000 homes and businesses still do not have power after the prior storms damaged trees and utility lines.
There is a chance of precipitation, including snow and sleet, in parts of central Pennsylvania. Ice is also expected on higher ground. The parts of New York that get a lot of snow and ice could see several inches of it.
Boston is forecast to get up to four inches of snow through Tuesday night, which would be its biggest snowfall of the season as well. The city’s largest snowfall so far was just 2.3 inches on January 23. Boston has seen less than a third of its normal snowfall this winter, about 10 inches total compared to a normal of 3 feet, Miller said.
The unusually snowless winter prompted Mayor Gary Christenson of Malden, Massachusetts, just north of Boston, to declare winter over on February 8, when he tweeted the city was lifting all winter parking restrictions for its roughly 65,000 residents.
Winter weather alerts, which include both winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories, are in effect for parts of central Pennsylvania through central Maine through Tuesday, according to the weather service. The highest snow amounts are expected across interior portions of New York, Connecticut and into the Berkshire mountains in Massachusetts, where up to a foot of fresh powder is possible.
According to Miller, the snow deficiency is not a sign of an actual dry spell for the Northeast.
The period between snow events is also likely to increase as the climate warms, and it may be especially true for coastal Northeastern cities. According to the US National Climate Assessment, the rain-snow line is shifted northward in the Northeastern part of the US as the temperature warms.
And it’s not just the Northeast. Meteorological winter, which spans December, January, and February, is also the fastest-warming season for 75% of 238 US locations, according to Climate Central’s data analysis.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff said that some people have been trapped by the snow in the San Bernardino Mountains and are now watching gas stations and grocery stores run low on supplies.
As crews work to create single-lane pathways on roads for first responders, San Bernardino County declared a local emergency Monday to seek state and federal assistance with clearing the snow, officials said.
More than 600 students who were scheduled to return home on Friday were stuck at their camps because of the storm. California Highway Patrol escorted the children’s buses down the mountain on Monday so they could reunite with their families, according to an Irvine Unified School District spokeswoman.
“If you plan to travel by road at elevations above 1,000 feet through West Coast states, be prepared for rapidly changing conditions and have winter driving supplies,” the National Weather Service warned.
Don’t bring chains if you don’t know how to use them. An emergency kit should include warm clothes, snacks, and water if you are delayed. It’s important to make your vehicle ready with good tires and working blades, theOregon Department of Transportation said.
Assessing Oklahoma’s epoch-to-period effects on the Norman, Shawnee, and possibly Cheyenne floods
Officials in Oklahoma are still assessing the damage, though the most concentrated impacts appear to be in Norman, Shawnee and possibly Cheyenne, according to a spokesperson for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.