There is a storm in California that is making flooding, road closings and power outages
CNN Weather Brief: Forecasts for the Northern Hemisphere, NWS, and Mid-Atmospheric River and FloodWatches for Seattle and San Francisco
This article originally appeared in CNN Weather Brief, which is released every Monday and is a version of the weekly weather newsletter. You can sign up here to receive them every week and during significant storms.
In its Thursday forecast, the NWS warned of “record-breaking cold and life-threatening wind chills over the Great Plains to overspread the eastern half of the Nation by Friday.”
The Weather prediction center said that a more active fall weather pattern is expected to evolve by the end of this week and continue into the weekend.
Plus, major cities, including New York and Boston, can expect 1 to 2 inches of heavy rain from the nor’easter into the weekend before the storm system pulls away from the region Sunday,
The potential for very heavy rain could accompany the front, bringing up to two inches of rain for much of the area, and isolated locations could see even more.
The NWS forecast lake-effect snow for the Great Lakes, as well as heavy precipitation for the Pacific Northwest and the Northern High Plains.
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.
High Winds and Snow in the Midwest and the Effects of Tropical Flares on Southern California and the Northern Hemisphere During the December December Storm
Thursday: Thursday will be the most difficult day for travel. The storm will wreak havoc on the Midwest with heavy snow and strong winds. Western Minnesota will be affected by a lot of conditions, but will be particularly affected by wind chills on Thursday and Friday.
There is a possibility of 2 to 3 inches of rain and 3 to 5 feet of snow on parts of California, which will cause travel headaches around some of the more densely populated areas.
A high-wind warning is in effect for much of the Pacific Northwest, where widespread winds of 35 to 45 mph with wind gusts up to 70 mph are forecast or already occurring. In addition, wind advisories are also posted both in the Pacific Northwest as well as many other Western states.
• Across the region: Total ice accumulation of at least a quarter of an inch is likely from West Texas to western Tennessee through Thursday morning. The National Weather Service said that a half-inch could build up in parts of central and north-central Texas and southern Arkansas.
“This system will have increasingly widespread impacts to travel going into the busy holiday travel time late this week, along with the potential for power outages from the expected high winds, heavy snows, significant icing and overall increased power consumption in places,” NWS said Friday.
“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.
The Storm Prediction Center in Norman says the threat of severe weather continued for Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
As the tornado event approaches, the areas most at risk from tornadoes will become clearer.
“The significant Sierra snowpack is good news but unfortunately these same storms are bringing flooding to parts of California,” DWR Director Karla Nemeth said in a press release. “This is a prime example of the threat of extreme flooding during a prolonged drought as California experiences more swings between wet and dry periods brought on by our changing climate.”
In the high Sierra Nevada, as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of snow could accumulate into early Sunday. The National Weather Service in California warned about the dangers of driving in the snow and posted pictures of traffic on snow covered mountain passes that required four-wheel drive.
Interstates in South Dakota could become impassable amid the blizzard conditions, resulting in roadway closures across the state, the South Dakota Department of Transportation warned Monday.
The National Weather Service forecaster in Reno stated that the snowpack is 225% of normal, which is more than they would have expected.
“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.
The totals of the snowfall so far are impressive, but according toDeutschendorf he is cautiously optimistic that this precipitation will lead to a big dent in the state’s dry spell.
More than 35 feet of Snow in Anchorage, Tenn., during the First Week of Snow and Ice Breakout in 18 Months of Decay
The ski resort wrote on its website that they were buried in thick snow and that they had taken photos.
“This is definitely a storm to remember. We’ve now received 7.5 feet of snow since December 1st. The resort got more than 35 inches of snow in one day which is the 6th largest total on record.
The weather service office in Rapid City said travel through the area will be nearly impossible on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The National Weather Service estimated that much of the nation’s 330 million residents were under some sort of winter weather alert on Thursday — a who’s who of winter maladies from blizzards, snow squalls and ice storms to high winds, wind chill and hard freezes.
The storms that hit Anchorage over the past week have brought up to 30 inches of snow, according to a statement from the mayor’s office.
Areas in the past week have seen relief from the lack of rain. Tennessee, for example, went from 96% of the state under drought to being at 46% this week.
A tornado in the farmerville town of Wayne, Mississippi, reported by McClain county Sheriff’s Capt. Bryan Murrell and dozens of tornadoes
There were no deaths or injuries due to the tornado, McClain County Sheriff’s Capt. Bryan Murrell said. But as authorities began assessing the damage to the town of Wayne on Tuesday morning, it was clear the damage was widespread.
Another tornado in northern Louisiana traveled through the town of Farmerville was rated an EF-3, with 140 mph winds, according to NWS. The tornado ripped through parts of the town, according to a police detective.
Plus, dozens of tornadoes were reported across Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma since Tuesday. There were three deaths in Louisiana as a result of 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 got to work even though the roads are 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’m likely to get a motel room tonight.
Injuring a Tour Bus in El Paso, Fla., on Monday morning: Highway Patrol and Natural Resources Protection in the DFW Metropolitan Area
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety tweeted Monday: “This is a ‘we are not kidding’ kind of storm.” The people were told to stock up on essentials.
“This system will be moving across the country and it will be a busy week,” said Mr. Chenard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Maryland.
In northern Utah, a tour bus crashed Monday morning as snow and frigid temperatures blanketed the region. The state’s Highway Patrol said in a statement that the driver lost control and the bus flipped on it’s side. The Highway Patrol said that more than 20 people were injured.
Several people were injured in the suburbs and counties north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and dozens of homes and businesses were damaged by the line of storms. More than 1,000 flights into and out of area airports were delayed, and over 100 were canceled, according to the tracking service FlightAware.
A young boy was found dead in a wooded area of Pecan Farms where his home was destroyed Tuesday after a tornado hit Four Forts, Louisiana, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) from Shreveport, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator said in a statement.
The roof of the service center was blown off, and a portion of it was hanging from the power lines, according to Trent Kelley.
There were downed power lines and trees on the streets, as well as damaged buildings and a semitrailer that appeared to have been thrown around a parking lot.
In Colorado, all roads were closed in the northeast quadrant of the state. The severe weather could cause problems for animals in the region. Jim Santomaso is a northeast representative of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.
Multi-hazard Storms During the Last Three Days of Winter Snow and Ice: Effects on Power Lines and Highways in the Upper Midwest
National Weather Service meteorologist Melissa Dye in the Twin Cities said this is a “long duration event” with snow, ice and rain through Friday night. After a lull, a second round of snow was expected in Minnesota.
The monstrous storm that walloped much of the US this week has now brought nor’easter conditions as it moves across New York and New England ahead of the weekend.
In response to the massive storm system, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned residents of the hazardous road conditions the storm is threatening to bring as millions across in the Northeast are under winter weather alerts Friday.
“We urge everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow,” Hochul said in a Thursday statement. If possible, stay at home and make sure you and your family are safe.
In anticipation of what will be a week of travel nightmares, United, American, Delta, Southwest and Jet Blue have issued travel waivers for dozens of airports across the country from the South to the Northeast, because in addition to snow covering roadways, low visibility could make air travel dangerous.
The multi-hazard storm – which headed into central and Southern US after battering California with deadly floods – has already triggered at least 120 storm reports over the past two days and left a trail of destruction as it barreled across the country, shifting to the South and Southeast.
Additionally, strong winds may knock out power lines in the Midwest, especially in areas where heavy snow fell last week and is already weighing down tree branches. This will leave millions finding a way to stay warm as temperatures plummet to well below freezing.
Icing up to two-tenths of an inch could be seen in Louisville, Kentucky, while Charleston, West Virginia, can see sleet up to an inch and ice up to a tenth of an inch.
Thousands of people were without proper heating in the Upper Midwest as strong winds and cold weather wreaked havoc on power lines.
Two tornadoes knocked out power, and an estimated 24,000 inches of snow in Minnesota and Northern California, and a number of southern states with wind and rain expected
Meanwhile in Louisiana, Yoshiko A. Smith, 30, and her 8-year-old son, Nikolus Little, were killed Tuesday when a tornado struck Caddo Parish and destroyed their home, local officials said.
The western states are expecting rain or snow, and the states with the most impact are California and Nevada. Power was knocked out to about 126,000 customers in Oregon, 28,000 in Washington state, and 22,000 in California by mid-afternoon Tuesday, mainly due to rain, snow, and wind, says poweroutage.us.
The east-central part of Minnesota had the highest number of homes and businesses without power as of early Saturday.
In Vermont, state police responded to many car accidents and advised drivers to slow down. There were roads closed due to the storm impact.
Over a 36-hour period, 24.5 inches of snow fell in the Vermont town of Wilmington as well as more than 19 inches in Landgrove and Ludlow, the weather service said.
There are two different weather events happening right now, one could bring a lot of rain and snow to most of the state, while the other could bring a lot of snow to the Tug Hill area.
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.
There are only light scattered snow showers expected through Saturday morning and the snow showers are coming to an end across the region.
The air from Canada will descend to the lowest temperature of the season this week. In places with low temperatures, it will take as little as 5 minutes to show signs of frostbite.
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. The high-temperature tomorrow will likely not make it above zero degrees.
Life threatening cold has blanketed the Gulf Coast and Mexican border, with wind chills reported 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.
Blizzard Conditions, Power Outages, and Snowfall in the Windy City of Chicago: Predictions for the Mid-Atlantic Hemisphere
Blizzard conditions occur when you have falling or blowing snow combined with winds of at least 35 mph leading to reduced visibility to at least a quarter of a mile for at least three hours.
Power outages will also be a concern for the Windy City as winds could gust as high as 50 mph on Friday. This will only exacerbate the storm’s impacts as wind chills will drop to at least 20 degrees below zero, possibly even colder.
“It’s night in the northern hemisphere Arctic regions and there’s snow and ice covering that entire area. Greg Carbin, branch chief at the prediction center said that there was a source freezer sitting up there. There is a lot of snow on the ground in the northern United States, which means that the cold air has the ability to hold onto those characteristics.
“Overall, concern continues to increase in the quick development of dangerous conditions Thursday afternoon with potentially significant impacts to the evening peak travel window,” warned the weather service office in Chicago.
storms intensify when pressure drops like this. Normal air pressure sits at around 1,013 millibars at sea level. The storm could become a bombogenesis if the system pressure plummets from 1,003 to 968 MM in the next 48 hours.
“I-95 gets a slug of pretty deep rain and that can be a problem in those areas that are now seeing snow,” Carbin said. You can see some of the water draining away.
The chances of a white Christmas for many in the country are increased by the storm. Some areas were already a given, considering there was snow already on the ground and the cold temperatures keeping it there.
“The probability is normally about 10% that the DC area will have at least one inch of snow on Christmas Day,” Carbin explained. “With the pattern coming together the way it is, I’d be willing to bump that up to a 30% chance and it could increase pretty substantially here in the next couple of days, depending on what scenario comes out.”
On-line forecast for Seattle and Fargo, North Dakota through a large-scale wind-scattered storm on Tuesday night based on NOMAD
Millions of people in the West are under wind advisories from the National Weather Service through Tuesday evening as a storm system moves inland.
Wind chill advisories are in place for Sioux, South Dakota, and Fargo, North Dakota, Tuesday, when the dangers of frostbite are settling in. Wind chill, which indicates what the wind feels like, will be as low as 40 degrees below zero.
Seattle is under a winter storm warning. The storm will start moving east in Idaho Tuesday morning and then move across northern and central Montana in the afternoon.
The weather on Thursday will be icy in some places, including Chicago. Predicting exactly where ice will occur is difficult for parts of the Ohio Valley. If you live in the areas, make sure to stay aware of the forecast as freezing rain and sleet can disrupt travel and cause power failures.
The weather service said that water pipes will be at risk of bursting. A wind chill watch is in effect for Amarillo, Texas.
“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 storm is being propelled by high pressure systems on each side. He says the system is almost record high in pressure. “It’s kind of squeezed in there between. So it’s making a really strong, sharp temperature decline.”
The six day blast of polar air from Canada has disrupted holiday travel plans as it has wreaked havoc all across the country, causing power outages, canceled flights and dangerous roads.
Denver weather forecast for a cold day of February 14 through the afternoon sunspot, and the possibility of a one-in-a-generation storm
Those venturing outside should cover their skin with layers, and change into dry clothing as soon as possible. Staying indoors is the best prevention by far, experts say.
Denver will go from a high of 47 on Wednesday to a low of minus 14 on Thursday morning. That would be the city’s coldest day in 32 years, according to the weather service.
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 possibility of snow in the central Appalachians and a possibility of showers in parts of the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys.
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.
“This is a case in which snow totals may not tell the whole story. Even small snow amounts, when combined with very strong wind gusts and plummeting temperatures, can cause poor visibility and slick spots on roads. The sudden arrival of these conditions can increase the danger,” the weather service explained.
Georgia Gov. Kemp declared a state of emergency due to the forecast of near zero or negative digit wind chills by noon on Friday.
An Outage of the Pandemic: Flight Cancellations in Louisville, LaGuardia, Chicago and the O’Hare International Airport
The governor told reporters that the declaration will ensure that propane can be delivered for both commercial and residential needs.
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 told residents to stay off the roads and have abackup heat source.
Nearly 5,300 Friday flights have already been canceled as of 7:30 p.m. ET, after nearly 2,700 cancellations on Thursday, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
At one point Thursday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, there were delays of almost three hours due to snow and ice.
Temperatures at the O’Hare dropped to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 Celsius) around 5 p.m. local time. Snow and freezing fog were reported by the National Weather Service.
de-icing fluid is required for safe travel at several airports, including Dallas Love, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver and Minneapolis.
“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. Notices were posted by John F. Kennedy and Newark Airport.
For those whose flights are still scheduled to fly, the Transportation Security Administration is recommending that passengers arrive at the airport earlier than usual.
John Busch, Reagan National Airport’s TSA federal security director, told reporters that all airports “expect to be busier this holiday season than we’ve been in several years coming out of the pandemic. We’ve already seen some of our busiest days, yesterday and today and we expect maybe Friday 30th ahead of the New Year’s holiday can be also a very busy day.”
Midwest Intercity Buses Are Due to Very Long Baseline Intervals in the Upcoming Snowstorms: A Case Study in Danville, Illinois
The grandmother told CNN she was trying to leave as soon as possible after leaving Chicago with her granddaughter.
The person told CNN that they were cutting the trip short as they didn’t want to get caught in the weather.
“I was worried because San Diego, we don’t get these snowstorms,” she said. I don’t like being stuck in the airport for a long period of time.
Greyhound issued a service alert on Thursday warning customers that those traveling in the Midwest over the next two days may have their trips delayed or canceled altogether.
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:
Chicago, West Virginia and Charleston. Dallas and Cleveland are both present Denver and Detroit were both present in Danville, Illinois. Kansas City and Minneapolis are both in Minnesota.
The Cold Front: Snow, Ice and Salt at the Fingers of the Prodigal Mechanics in the Western Rocky Mountain Region
“Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL.”
“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 is not like a snow day when you were a kid. This is serious stuff.”
The cold front has moved so swiftly that temperatures across the Rocky Mountains plunged at record paces. On Wednesday night in Cheyenne, Wyo., the temperature dropped more than 30 degrees in just nine minutes.
CNN reported that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas stated it will be able to meet demand as the temperature plummets.
“The grid is ready and reliable,” said Peter Lake, chairman of the state’s Public Utility Commission, in a Wednesday news conference. We expect sufficient generation to meet the demand during the winter 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.
More than 350,000 gallons of liquid deicer, more than 500 pieces of snow removal equipment and 5,000 tons of salt will be at the hands of these hard-working individuals.
The winter weather was so cold in Kansas City that only a tiny amount of snow fell. The city’s homeless services were put under strain when temperatures were predicted to remain below freezing.
Many shelters have added beds this week, but many are still close to capacity. 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 not open. Pete, who did not give his last name to KCUR, claimed he did not have a permanent place to live, and that he would likely get kicked out if he went into a parking garage. “There isn’t much you can do.”
The Denver Coliseum Reached Far Past Capacity: A Warm Alternative to Homelessness in Montana and the Rise of the Crowd
“Even though this is kind of a worse winter than we’ve seen in the last few years, it’s nothing new to Montana. We’ve been running cattle for a long time, so we kind of know how to get through stuff like this,” Willemsma said.
Hank claimed he would be working through the cold to keep hay for his animals, as the temperature was expected to reach minus 13 degrees.
Reporting from Bruce Konviser, WPLN’s Paige Pfleger and Blake Farmer, NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly and David Schaper and the Associated Press was used in this report.
“Our troopers, our highway maintainers, our snowplow drivers have been up all night long,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon told NPR Thursday. “They’ve just been doing a phenomenal job and so we’ve got traffic moving again and we feel pretty good about our circumstances.”
A warm place to stay is available in Denver. One of them, the Denver Coliseum, reached far past capacity Wednesday night, accommodating 359 people in a space meant for 225, the city of Denver said. All three centers will remain open through noon on Saturday.
Online conversations were started about how to get people off the streets during the cold weather as a result of the issue of homelessness.
“As a public defender, one of the clearest indicators of societal failure was when I’d meet new clients who purposefully got arrested so they’d find some warmth on Rikers Island instead of freezing to death on the street,” Columbia University lecturer and longtime public defender Scott Hechinger wrote on Twitter Wednesday.
The Long Beach branch closed down as a blizzard, and one man died in Kansas City after losing control of a Dodge Caravan
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. In New York, flooding along the Long Island Rail Road forced part of the Long Beach branch to temporarily shut down.
“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.”
In Kentucky, three people died due to the storm, including two in vehicle crashes and the other a “housing insecure” person in Louisville, Gov. Andy Beshear said. Police said an autopsy would determine the cause of death for the man who was found outside with no obvious signs of trauma.
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 said that its watch warning graphic shows one of the greatest amounts of winter weather warnings and advisories ever.
“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 slammed on us this weekend, and we have had everything from ice, flooding, snow, and freezing temperatures.
Brian was living up to the warnings at his home in New York. The airport in Buffalo reported zero visibility after noon on Friday.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/23/weather/christmas-arctic-winter-storm-poweroutages-friday/index.html
Effect of the Icy Breakdown on Flight Access and Electricity Services at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Upside Floodwater Surrounding New Jersey
He said that his mother and sister and their family live in the other direction. We all get together on Christmas Eve and Christmas, but we are all hunkering down in our homes until Monday.
Friday will bring record-low temperatures in large swaths of the country, from the Lower Mississippi Valley northeastward into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys and stretches across large parts of the eastern and southern parts of the country.
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. Sound Transit’s express services were not available on Friday due to the icy conditions.
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.
WPLN reported that the Tennessee Valley Authority has asked utilities to cut electricity use because the power grid is not used to the cold. Customers in Nashville will experience 10-minute outages every few hours, until the power load stabilizes.
Scott Aaronson, vice president of security and preparedness at the Edison that getting the power restored in weather like this is a significant challenge.
Accessing these areas can be very difficult due to downed power lines, trees, and 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 also flooded.
The New York State Snow Storm During the Great Lakes Volcano Revisited: Thousands of Emergency Vehicles are Staggered
“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.
As it moved over the Great Lakes, the storm became a “bomb cyclone,” with winter advisories along with whiteout conditions. Heavy snow in New York state resulted in widespread outages and even emergency vehicles being stranded.
The states and zip codes were listed on the service alert page. It warned that delivery and pickup services might be affected.
FedEx said it had experienced “substantial disruptions” at two processing hubs, adding that “all FedEx Express locations have been impacted by severe winter weather and delays can be expected for package deliveries across the US with a delivery commitment through Monday, December 26.”
The USPS said it had temporarily shut down 89 post offices, while Amazon temporarily closed some of its sites in affected areas.
The winter storm that has killed about 50 people is expected to kill many more as the cold continues into the week. More than half the deaths occurred in western New York, in what Buffalo’s mayor called a “once-in-a-generation storm.”
Buffalo Mayor Brown toldNPR’s Morning Edition that emergency responders have gone car by car to perform hundreds of rescues of stranded motorists.
“This has been called a once-in-a-generation storm,” Brown said. “It’s unlike anything that even the city of Buffalo is used to getting.”
Snow and Storms in Portland, New York, during the First Day of the National Grid Blackout: “At the Edge of Winter,” said PJM
“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.
Communities from coast to coast have lost power over the course of the week, but the worst of rolling blackouts appeared to have subsided. A mid-Atlantic grid operator, PJM interconnection, said Sunday that utilities could meet the day’s demand after it initially asked 65 million customers to conserve energy amid Saturday’s freeze.
It is advised by the NWS that high wind speeds and low temperature can cause frostbite in less than 10 minutes.
Near Watertown, Copenhagen, a village in New York’s Lewis County, was buried in snow. The conditions were so bad that snowplows had a hard time navigating the roads.
The Michigan area set a daily maximum snowfall record with 10.9 inches of snow on Sunday. The old record of 8 inches was received back in 1992.
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.
It takes up a lot of energy to fight off diseases in the heat dome, and it damages trees because they rely on it for energy.
Sacramento, California, is ushering in the new year: Snowfall and flash floods caused by a powerful December 26 snow storm on Saturday
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 greatest flash-flooding concerns are for the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, as well as the coastal portions of southern Oregon down through the Bay Area and to Los Angeles County.
“Say goodbye to the warmth,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles tweeted Monday. “Big drop in temperatures on track between today and tomorrow (Tuesday). Expect 15-20 degrees of cooling thanks to the approaching storm system.”
California’s capital city is called SACRAMENTO. A powerful storm brought drenching rain or heavy snowfall to much of California on Saturday, snarling traffic and closing highways as the state prepared to usher in a new year.
More than 153,000 customers were affected by power failures on Saturday, according to an online map. The utility said that it was working to restore power after the winter storm hit.
The weather agency in Sacramento said that it was too many road closings to count. Sacramento County urged residents in the unincorporated community of Wilton to evacuate, warning that flooded roadways could “cut off access to leave the area.”
California’s Second Wetest Day: Rainfall and Flood Watches from Sacramento to Humboldt Counties on Dec. 20, 2015
It was the second wettest day of all time in San Francisco, with more than 5 inches of rain falling at midafternoon. With rain continuing to fall, it could threaten the nearly three-decade old record.
The California Highway Patrol said that a section of U.S. 101 was closed 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.
Weather service meteorologist Courtney Carpenter said the storm could drop over an inch of rain in the Sacramento area before moving south. 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 of 24-hour precipitation released by the agency showed a wide range of totals from less than an inch in some areas to more than 5 inches 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.
California was cheered by the rain, but more precipitation is needed to make a difference. The past three years have been California’s driest on record.
A flood watch was in effect across 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. 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.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/01/01/1146502063/atmospheric-river-california-rain-snow
Southern Cross-Seattle Storms With Atmospheric Rainfalls Record-Breaking 3.4 inches across the Southeast and a New High Temperature Record in Memphis and Jackson
It was the first of several storms expected to roll across California over the next week. The current system is expected to be warmer and wetter, while next week’s storms will be colder, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
The weather service in Reno said that strong winds could cause tree damage, lead to power outages, and may cause small vessels to capsize.
Flood watches and warnings were issued on the eastern front of the Sierra, with flooding forecast on some rivers and streams.
Wind and tornadoes could be seen in places like Albany, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Atlanta, Raleigh and Norfolk. There’s a chance of flash flooding in parts of Mississippi.
Parts of Georgia, Florida and Alabama have been placed on a tornado watch.
In Tennessee, Memphis and Jackson both saw record-breaking rainfall Tuesday. Memphis received 3.84 inches, smashing its previous daily record of 2.13 inches set in 1949. Jackson broke a previous daily record on Tuesday by getting 2.48 inches.
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.
Road conditions and roadway impacts in Garland County, Arkansas, during a tree-and power line collision with a high-line tower and trees
Multiple buildings of a school were damaged, and several homes in the area were damaged, when trees and power lines fell in Garland County, Arkansas.
“The school was currently in session at the time, however all students have been accounted for and reports of no injury,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.
My husband and I are still alive, that is the best thing. 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 highline towers were damaged in northern Louisiana, which is also reported to have had damage. The tower was knocked over, as well as several other towers, according to the National Weather Service.
In Jackson Parish, residents were told not to travel on the roads Monday due to downed powerlines and covered roads with water.
The Weather Service said that the state received a lot of rain that left soils vulnerable to flooding and landslides.
The ice storm stretching from Texas to Tennessee will continue through at least Thursday morning, with expected ice accumulation affecting travel and possibly spurring scattered power outages, the National Weather Service reported.
In Austin, the rain could start as early as Monday. Icing will be possible late at night and on the cold mornings. Dallas is expected to see some icing from one-tenth to a quarter of an inch.
The most significant travel impacts in the Texas area are expected Tuesday, with icy bridges and slick roadways possible, according to the weather service’s Fort Worth office. Drivers were asked to watch out for patches of black ice and slippery roadways.
The weather service office in Norman, Oklahoma says that there will be a lot of sleet and freezing rain in Oklahoma on Monday.
The weather service office in Lincoln, Illinois, warned that roads, sidewalks and parking lots may be slick due to the freezing drizzle. “Use caution if heading out tonight,” forecasters said.
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 snow totals.
“In addition to potentially hazardous travel conditions, this amount of ice will lead to tree damage and power outages across the hardest-hit regions,” the National Weather Service warned in its forecast Monday.
Arkansas Governor Susan Huckabee Sanders urged the state’s emergency management division to increase its response during a severe road storm on Little Rock
Amid such conditions, the governor has requested the state’s emergency management division to increase its resources so it can be ready to respond through Thursday.
As ice began to form on roads in Little Rock, Arkansas, the Governor activated the winter weather support teams of the state’s National Guard to aid 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.
In order to provide funds for program and administrative costs, the emergency order directed $250,000 to the head of the state’s Division of Emergency Management.
“The real enemy is going to be that ice,” said Dave Parker, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. “This could potentially be a pretty dangerous situation.”
Two other deaths were previously linked to the storm that coated Texas cities with sleet or ice. In south Austin, one person died Tuesday morning in a 10-car pileup, the city’s fire department said. The person died when the car rolled over in Arlington, police said.
Weather Warnings for Eldorado, Texas, when a 49-year-old woman lost control of her truck on the road north of Interstate 20
We anticipate sufficient generation to meet demand, this week, as we continue to monitor forecasts. We don’t want to ask for conserve at this time. The agency said that they would let the public know if they experience a power failure.
“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.
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.
A 49-year-old woman was killed this week when she lost control of her truck on an icy road north of Eldorado, the Texas Department of Public Safety told CNN on Wednesday.
“Before we got to I-20, we also helped a few other cars who were stuck on the streets,” Muniz said. “We eventually came across the standstill on Interstate 20 and helped an additional 20 trucks.”
“Everyone was very grateful for our help, especially the truck drivers. Some even asked if we were going to charge them for the help, but we told them we were just there to help.”
“Prepare for tree limb breakage and localized power outages in this region, in addition to hazardous or impossible travel conditions,” the weather service in Dallas warned.
The Texas National Guard is prepared to help when there is an emergency. Texas Parks and Wildlife has many people ready for search and rescue operations.
Weather Forecasts for the Midwest and Plains through the Cascade Mountains and Upper Midwest through the Early ‘Midnight Anomaly’
The Cascade Mountains could see as much as three feet of snow in the highest elevations through Tuesday, while winds in the Pacific Northwest have the potential to gust up to 60 mph. The big waves that will break just offshore will cause beach erosion.
Blizzard warnings are in place for southern Wyoming, where nearly two feet of snow and winds gusting more than 70 mph will create blinding conditions. The weather service warns of the wind chilling to 25 degrees below zero.
The National Weather Service predicts temperatures will hit record highs and lows, and a large winter storm will plague a large portion of the country.
The term “anomaly” used by the NWS Climate Prediction Center to describe the overall weather pattern is for the unusual cold and warmth that people will experience.
It will feel like early summer in the Southeast and Midwest as almost 150 million Americans will see a high above 70 degrees this week. The highs in central Florida will top out in the 90’s, while the highs in the Dakotas will plunge into the minus teens.
As part of the same system, rain and thunderstorms are forecast 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.
New record-breaking high temperature temperatures across the Florida peninsula from Tuesday to Thursday and into the late 90s by the end of May/early June
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.
More than 120 cities can set new daily high temperature records from Tuesday to Friday and others can set new monthly records.
