Holiday travel is dangerous because of a massive winter storm sweeping the U.S
Forecasts for Areas in the Southeast and Midwest During the Atmospheric River Storm and Winter Storms Through the Mid-Midnight
The National Weather service said the atmospheric river storm would bring more rain through Saturday in the northern part of the state.
The multi-day event is bringing snow, ice, and flooding to parts of the country, even as the Southeast is basking in a high temperature.
The mountains could see 10 to 20 inches of rain, with heavy snow, while the plains could get 2 to 4 inches of rain. The heightened risk of flash floods and mudslides is why the forecasters are encouraging people to be careful around the areas that burned recently.
The valleys and mountains will be under winds of 40-50 mph and 70 mph, respectively, which is lower than earlier this week, but still nothing to worry about.
A winter storm is expected to dump snow in the Rockies, northern Plains and parts of the Midwest on Monday.
Slick roadways and near-whiteout conditions will make travel very difficult if not impossible at times for some of these areas. There could be power outages due to strong winds.
“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.
There will be a severe storm threat Monday for the parts of the South and southern central US. There’s a slight threat of severe weather for some parts of western and central Kansas and Oklahoma.
“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.
Snowfall in Soda Springs, Nevada, the highest recorded snowfall in the state, and a storm warning for northern Washington, as seen by NWS
In 48 hours, Soda Springs in the northern part of the state received 60 inches of snow, making it the highest recorded snowfall in the state.
A winter storm warning is in effect for western Washington, including Seattle, until 7 p.m. PST Friday. Additional snowfall of up to 2 inches is possible and ice accumulations could reach a quarter of an inch. Precipitation will begin as snow and transition to sleet/freezing rain and then finally to rain. travel will be difficult as more power outages are likely
Interstate 80 was also partially closed near the Nevada line midday Saturday “due to multiple spinouts over Donner Summit,” according to the California Department of Transportation.
In the Sierra region, the storm dropped snow at a rate up to 7.5 inches per hour, according to the NWS office in Reno. The Tahoe basin saw 20 to 24 inches of snow at lake level, with roughly twice that amount above 7,000 feet.
High-Snowfall Totals and Snowfalls from the Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort in Maryland, California, and the Mid-Atlantic
It looks like Christmas out here. “It didn’t come with a lot of wind, and it stuck to everything. It is like a picture postcard.
The snow totals so far are impressive and he iscautiously optimistic that this precipitation will put a big dent in the state’s dry spell.
“We’re Buried,” the Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort wrote on its website Sunday, sharing photos of thick snow covering the ski resort in Olympic Valley, California.
This is definitely a storm to remember. We have 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.
Major cities, including New York and Boston, can expect to get at least a day’s worth of rain before the storm system pulls away from the region Sunday.
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. Make sure to work from home if possible and stay off the roads if you can.
The low visibility caused by wind and heavy snow prompted the transportation officials in Pennsylvania to tell drivers not to travel.
On a day when millions of Americans were expected to be traveling for the winter holidays, a massive cold weather system marched across most of the contiguous United States, bringing record-breaking cold, gusty winds and dangerous precipitation to states from Montana to Alabama.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses were left in the dark after a series of tornadoes in the South and a winter storm in the Upper Midwest.
Plus, dozens of tornadoes were reported across Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma since Tuesday. Three people in Louisiana were killed by the storms.
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.
More than 150,000 homes and businesses in California were without power due to strong winds from the powerful storm that tore down power lines, according to the website Poweroutage.
A mother and her son were killed when a tornado destroyed their home in Caddo Parish, Louisiana.
The National Weather Service reported that the Farmerville tornado was an EF 3 with 140 mph winds. 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.
Snow, Winds and Storms: Influence on the U.S. Overnight, and a “Serious Weather Alert” as Declared by President Biden
The National Weather Service (NWS), in its bulletin, said that a “strong arctic high pressure system” was to blame for the weather systems across 17 states.
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. Seas just offshore will be as high as 20 feet, bringing large, breaking waves to coastal areas, causing beach erosion.
The temperature in the Rocky mountains plummeted at a record pace because of the cold front. In nine minutes, the temperature dropped from 30 degrees to 19 degrees in Wyoming.
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.
More than 2,200 flights had been canceled across the US by late Thursday afternoon, and 6,000 were delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
More than 873,000 households in the U.S. were without power as of Friday afternoon, largely in Michigan, California, Illinois and New York, according to utility companies’ reports tracked by PowerOutage.us.
Those trying to brave the cold are at risk of frostbite, according to the NWS. Subzero temperatures in some parts of the U.S. this week could lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Those venturing outside should dress in layers, cover their skin and change into dry clothing as soon as possible. Staying indoors is the greatest prevention by far, according to experts.
“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.
“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. You were a kid when it was snowing, and this is not the same. This is serious stuff.”
At least 13 governors have put emergency measures in place to respond to the storm. Declarations of a state of emergency in several states have included the activation of National Guard units.
In Texas, where a 2021 winter storm overwhelmed the state’s power grid and ultimately killed more than 200 people, officials said they expected the grid would hold up as forecasts called for cold weather but little precipitation.
“The grid is ready and reliable,” said Peter Lake, chairman of the state’s Public Utility Commission, in a Wednesday news conference. “We expect to have enough generation to meet demand during this entire winter weather event.”
Winter storm holiday travel in the Denver, O’Hare, midway, and Denver airports: How much can you do?
Denver International Airport was the only one that canceled more than usual, as its temperature was minus 24 degrees, making it the lowest recorded since 1990. More than a quarter of all flights in or out of the airport have been canceled so far Thursday. Nearly 480 more were delayed.
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.
“These hard-working individuals will have at their disposal more than 350 pieces of snow removal equipment, more than 400,000 gallons of liquid deicer for runways and taxiways, and more than 5,000 tons of salt,” said Andrew Velasquez, the city’s deputy aviation commissioner.
Hundreds of miles away in Kansas City, the winter weather brought only an inch or two of snow. The city’s homeless services were put to a strain as the temperatures were expected to remain below freezing.
Several area shelters had added beds this week; still, many reported being at or near capacity. After crews worked all night to clear the route and platforms, some of the people decided to shelter on the streetcar.
The library is not open. Pete, a man who did not have a permanent place to live, told KCUR that he would most likely get kicked out if he went into a parking garage. There isn’t much you can do.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/22/1144970060/winter-storm-holiday-travel
The weather forecasts in Montana poured out Thursday night as the snow melted and the ground freeze slowly became cold, even though the sun was out
In Montana, the sun was out Thursday as the snow had moved eastward toward the Midwest. But the frigid temperatures won’t thaw until the weekend, forecasts say.
Lisa Carter is the proprietor of a snowmobile rental business in West Yellowstone. “We deal with cold like this all the time. We’re used to it so we’re not doing anything extra. We don’t go outside.
Hank said he would be working through the cold to keep hay for his cattle, despite the predicted high temperature of minus 13 degrees.
Additional reporting by NPR, Montana Public Radio, KCUR and Ivy Winfrey in Washington D.C.
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 not on this year because of the weather that is expected to last through Sunday morning. It was all agreed that it was safer this way.
Four People Die in Auto Accidents, and One Injured in Kansas City, O., Over the Collision Line of a Dodge Caravan
And in Ohio, four people have died “as a result of weather-related auto accidents” and several others have been injured, according to Gov. Mike DeWine.
One person died after losing control of their Dodge Caravan on icy roads in Kansas City, according to the police department. Police said the car went down an embankment, over a retaining wall, and landed upside down in Brush Creek.
Hochul referred to the storm as a kitchen sink storm because it was throwing everything at them. “We’ve had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures, and everything that mother nature could wallop at us this weekend.”
For Brian Trzeciak, the storm was “living up to the warnings” at his home in Hamburg, New York. Buffalo’s airport, just to the north, reported zero visibility shortly after noon on Friday.
“My mother lives about 30 minutes away and so does my sister and her family, in the other direction,” he said. “We always get together for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but we’re all hunkering down in our houses until it all stops on Monday.”
The Big Bang Cyclone of Friday as it moves East across the Great Lakes: Flight Cancellation and a Winter Storm Warning
As it treks east across the country, the storm is expected to become a “bomb cyclone,” a rapidly strengthening storm which drops 24 millibars of pressure within 24 hours. The storm’s pressure was forecast to match that of a Category 2 hurricane as it moved into the Great Lakes on Friday morning.
Flight cancellations began to rise on Wednesday morning. As of 8 a.m. ET, more than 1,600 flights had been canceled, with Minneapolis International Airport scrapping roughly half of its arrivals.
There is still a chance of more light snow in some parts of southeast Michigan. Across the state, temperatures will be in the single digits on Friday. The forecasters think the weather will warm up by Sunday.
Even if there is no snow any longer, high winds can pick up snow already on the ground and cause low visibility.
At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, almost half of flights were canceled because of the ice on the runways. Further, all express services for Sound Transit, a regional transportation network in the Seattle metro area, were suspended Friday due to the icy conditions.
A winter storm warning is in effect for northeastern Oregon from 4 pm to 10 pm. The total snow and sleetAccumulations are likely to be up to one inch, as well as iceAccumulations are likely to be.2 to.4 inches. In a matter of minutes, cold air can cause skin damage, and frost can be seen on exposed skin.
The NWS said that the temperature will vary from the 80s in Virginia to a single digit in northern Maine.
Traveling in the South: Flooding, Power Outage, and Emergency Assistance in Tennessee and Kentucky During the October 4 Deep Inelastic Scenario
At least six people were killed in car crashes and four were killed in a pile up on the Ohio toll road according to reports.
WPLN’s Blake Farmer reported that as the front hit, parts of the South experienced wind chills of minus 20 degrees, and gusting winds knocked out power to thousands of homes across Tennessee and Kentucky. Emergency responders asked people in the region to stay home if possible.
WPLN’s Pfleger reported that the Tennessee Valley Authority had asked local utilities to cut their electricity use as the grid was putting pressure on due to the cold. Customers in Nashville will experience 10-minute outages every few hours, until the power load stabilizes.
Scott said that getting the power back on in weather like this is a significant challenge.
“Sometimes accessing these areas can be really challenging with downed power lines, with downed trees, with very icy roads. … If the wind is higher than 35 miles an hour, bucket trucks can’t be used. The power will be cut off for a while and the ability of crews to get there will be limited.
Flooding rose to as high as 9 feet along the coast in New Jersey because of heavy rains and high winds. The interior locations along the Hudson River were flooded.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/24/1145419116/winter-storm-travel-power-outage-dangerous-conditions
Across the United States and the Pacific Northwest, a “Soggy New Year” will be soggy for New York City, Washington, DC, and beyond
“Unfortunately, that’s really affecting anyone who’s got a connecting flight, and we’re going to see a lot of people missing connecting flights with these long delays,” he added.
Meanwhile the storm, which also brought strong winds, knocked out power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses across California and Nevada as of early Sunday, according to Poweroutage. US.
“While these winds won’t be on the order of the previous/stronger system it really won’t take much to bring trees down given saturated conditions and weakened trees from the last event,” the weather service in San Francisco posted Friday.
There have been consecutive dry summers, including the heat events like the heat dome that take up so much of the trees energy to fight off pathogens.
San Francisco’s downtown NWS site recorded 5.46 inches of rain on Dec. 31 — the second-wettest day at that location in more than 170 years, the NWS said.
Flood and flash flood watches, high winds warnings, and winter storm warnings were issued for residents from southern Oregon to southern California.
“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). A storm system will result in 15-20 degrees of cooling.
That means New Year’s Eve celebrations Saturday will likely be dampened in New York City and Washington, DC. Los Angeles, too, is expected to ring in a soggy new year.
A flood watch for more than 16 million in effect including entire Bay Area and Central Valley though Saturday night. Rain could ease Saturday evening before the calendar turns to 2023.
New York City can expect to get rain between 7 and 1 a.m. on Sunday. Temperatures will be near 50 through most of the afternoon into Sunday.
The slight risk area shows places that are already high in soil moisture, burn scars and urban areas.
The American River Reopens in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday after a Heavy Snow, High-Surface Rain, and Strong Winds on December 20th
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.
The California Highway Patrol reported some local roads in eastern Sacramento were under water and impassable at times on Friday. By nightfall, nearly 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) of rain had fallen over the past 24 hours in the Sierra foothills at Blue Canyon about 70 miles (112 kilometers) northeast of Sacramento, the weather service said.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, between Sunol and the unincorporated community of Fremont, as well as in Mendocino County near the unincorporated community of Piercy, there were slides, which were cleared into Friday night.
The earthquake that struck on December 20th caused roads to flood, 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.
The American River is a place where many unhoused people live and the fire officials were planning to broadcast warnings to evacuate from a helicopter and a boat.
Another round of strong winds is expected to accompany the storm as it pushes inland, this could cause more downed trees and power lines and lead to more power OUTAGES.
Flood watches were issued into the weekend for north and south of Reno, Nevada, where minor to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams.
Moderate flooding is expected to occur at Susanville, California on Saturday morning, after the Susan River was expected to rise to a foot over the flood stage by Friday.
The winter is showing some signs of respite for a state that is almost entirely in a dry spell. There are large lakes in Northern California, including Oroville. The amount of water in the Folsom Dam increased by 40 feet in three days.
As the storm battered the region, more than 178,000 homes and businesses in California were without power Wednesday night – the majority of which were in the northern part of the state, according to PowerOutage. US.
“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.”
California weather service notified evacuation warnings on New Year’s Eve after an overflow of water and floods in the Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento foothills
It was on track to become the second wettest day on record in downtown San Francisco, according to the National Weather Service.
The California Highway Patrol said a section of U.S. 101 south of San Francisco was closed because of flooding. There were videos showing mud-colored water streaming along San Francisco streets and a staircase turning into a waterfall in Oakland.
The storm could drop over one inches of rain in the Sacramento area before moving south, according to the weather service. A ski resort south of Lake Tahoe closed some chair lifts because of flooding and other problems, and posted a photo on the social media site that showed one lift tower surrounded by water.
The Sacramento agency released a map of 24-hour precipitation through Saturday morning, showing a wide range of totals in the region, from less than an inch (2.54 centimeters) in some areas to more than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in the Sierra foothills.
Photographs of a flooded railroad underpass and a car that became stuck in water were posted on the police department’s website.
The weather system is expected to bring light rain and mountain snow to the area on Monday and Tuesday.
And as streets flooded and river water levels rose, the storm also forced residents of several small communities in northern California out of their homes on New Year’s Eve as evacuation orders and warnings were issued.
There were a number of rivers that began overflowing, including the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers, according to the National Weather Service. Flood warnings were issued for the southern Sacramento Valley and Sierra foothills.
The communities of Paradise Park and Felton were ordered to evacuate by the Sheriff’s Office due to the rising waters of the San Lorenzo River.
The Amador County Fire Department on Saturday proclaimed Stormageddon, the county’s largest avalanche-prone storm since 2000, when two people died
The crews from the fire district were busy on Saturday and they responded to fallen trees on homes and cars and performed water rescues, officials said.
On its website, the Amador County Sheriff’s Office described it as Stormageddon and stated that there have been reports of flooding, mud slides and trees blocking roads.
Highway 50 was reopened just after midnight, hours after a section between Pollock Pines and Meyers was closed due to flooding from the American River, while another section was closed over Echo Summit for avalanche control work.
The county proclaimed a state of emergency, saying the atmospheric river has caused “significant transportation impacts, rising creek and river levels and flooding” in the Wilton area.
Over a foot of new snow fell at Mammoth Mountain’s Main Lodge Saturday, the ski resort said on Facebook, adding that work will take place across the mountain since all lifts were coated in ice and “avalanche danger is extremely high.”
At the Nevada State line and Colfax, CHP reported “dangerous and treacherous” driving conditions with dozens of vehicles stuck on the I-80 and county roads.
Aerial video from CNN affiliate KCRA showed cars submerged past their doorhandles in flood waters from Highway 99 and the Dillard Street area. Chris Schamber, a fire captain with the Cosumnes Fire Department, told the station “dozens upon dozens” of people had been rescued.
With the region drying out on New Year’s Day and no rainfall expected during Monday’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, spectators began staking out their spots for the annual floral spectacle.
At least two people died in the storm, including one who was found dead inside a completely submerged vehicle Saturday in Sacramento County, and a 72-year-old man who died after being struck by a fallen tree at a Santa Cruz park, according to officials.
Atmospheric Rivers During a La Nia Storm and Their Impact on Valley Land and Water Resources in Point Pleasant, California
Glanville Tract and Franklin Pond were under an eviction warning while an Evacuation order was issued for the rural areas of Point Pleasant.
“It is expected that the flooding from the Cosumnes River and the Mokelumne River is moving southwest toward I-5 and could reach these areas in the middle of the night,” the agency tweeted.
The current flooding and mud slides in Northern California could get worse before they get better, according to forecasters.
The office said it’s the third atmospheric river to hit the region in less than a month. The storm’s high winds could cause serious damage to the already saturated soil in some areas, according to the NWS.
As of midday Monday local time, around 39,000 electricity accounts were without power in California, with another 20,000 in Nevada, according to PowerOutage.us.
On Sunday, Mary Spencer- Gode and other residents gaped at the damage to their street, where an elm tree was destroyed on New Year’s Eve.
“The wind was just going crazy,” she told Capital Public Radio. When we turned off the TV, I heard a big noise and the house moved.
“It’s just a narrow area of high moisture that gets transported away from the tropics towards the higher latitudes,” often before a cold front arrives, as NWS senior forecaster Bob Oravec recently told NPR.
It’s more likely that an atmospheric river will occur during a La Nia climate pattern with waters in the Pacific Ocean cooler than average. This is the third consecutive winter in which La Niña has prevailed, according to Climate.gov.
Forecasters have been raising alarms about the storm for days now, saying it could start to affect land as early as Tuesday night. But they also predicted it would move slowly; as of late Wednesday morning, the system was still approaching the West Coast.
The NWS office in Los Angeles said that the incoming storm should be at least an inch larger than Saturday’s storm because of the long duration and excessive amount of precipitation.
The Director of the State Water Resources warned that burn scar areas and other sensitive terrain could become the sites of dangerous mud slides as the state transitions from a period of extreme dry conditions to a period of extreme floods.
The storms that run off of dry and draining areas are needed more than ever in an effort to alleviate the suffering caused by the longest continuous dry spell in modern recorded history, according to a climate scientist.
They bring more water to the state of California or they can be a cure for the state’s year-round dry spell, according to CNN. They become too strong when the duration becomes too long, and that can lead to flooding because the landscape does not have an opportunity to absorb all the rain.
A 2022 study authored by Swain found that climate change has already doubled the chances of a disastrous megaflood happening in California in the next four decades – a storm unlike anything anyone alive today has ever experienced.
“We haven’t seen the mega floods, but we have definitely seen hints of increasingly extreme precipitation even in the middle of what has otherwise been a period characterized by a pretty severe and persistent drought,” Swain said.
Nancy Ward, the new director of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said at the news conference that the series of storms may be the most challenging and impactful in the last five years.
The people in their coverage areas were warned on Wednesday to prepare for potential power losses, as well as for travel to be threatened by high winds, debris and fallen trees.
The precipitation can be extreme: A single atmospheric river “can carry more water than the Mississippi River at its mouth,” as NPR has reported. Forecasters have long warned that the systems’ winds are very dangerous. In 2017, one of the storms toppled the legendary “Pioneer Cabin Tree” sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
California Governor Gavin Newsom Declared a Statewide Emergency Declaration on Wednesday after a Massive Winter Storm Marched into the State Capitol
A powerful bomb cyclone slammed into the California coast on wednesday night, causing heavy downpours and damaging homes as it advanced inland.
A massive winter storm is hitting California with strong winds, heavy rain and snow. The storm caused floods and more rain on Thursday.
Additional rain on saturated soils is likely to cause more flooding concerns in much of the state. “There will continue to be an increased risk of rock slides and mud slides across much of the state as well.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide emergency declaration earlier Wednesday, clearing the way to quickly disseminate aid for those affected by the storm – the latest in series that have been wreaking havoc on the drought-plagued state.
There were firefighters and rescue equipment stationed on the scene of burn scar areas, as the storm marched towards California, state officials said.
The site of a mud slide in Santa Barbara that killed 23 people last year, as mud and boulders the size of houses crashed down the Santa Barbara hillsides, splintering more than 100 homes and shutting down a gas main is among the areas ordered to evacuate.
Das Williams is the first district supervisor in Santa Barbara County. If you live in that red zone you should have learned over the past five years that it is better to play it safe and evacuate and comply with the order.
Officials in Monterey County also started setting up evacuation points and emergency shelters ahead of the storm’s arrival, according to the sheriff’s Facebook page.
Rockslides forced the closure of a long stretch of coastal Highway 1 in both directions from Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County to south of Big Sur in Monterey County, according to the California Department of Transportation.
The Oakland Fire Department and the “Pennent Pineapple Express,” a Los Alamos-Alasinaga-Baye-Induced Storm, declared a Local Emergency
The city had already seen some localized flooding, a couple mudslides and sinkholes as of Wednesday evening, said Mary Ellen Carol, executive director of San Francisco’s Department of Emergency Management.
The San Francisco fire department shared a picture of a crew working to remove a large tree that was on top of a car and had trapped a family.
And earlier in the day, there were reports of falling glass from a downtown high rise in Fox Plaza, though no injuries were reported. It’s not known if this is wind-related, but the San Francisco Fire Department said it was highly possible.
Across the bay, Oakland city officials declared a local emergency Wednesday, bracing for storm damage on Oakland roads, flooding and potential threats to public safety.
Pacific Gas and Electric, the largest utility company in California, reported the storm caused widespread equipment damage and left many people without power.
There are a lot of trees falling into our lines, and we have other impacts on our power system. “We’ve mobilized for a major repair and restoration effort.”
Many crews are staged around the area, including some from Southern California Edison who are helping in the response.
“This is definitely going to be ranked up there with one of the storms that I’m going to remember,” Ashley Helmetag, a meteorologist, said in a Facebook video on PG&E’s page.
The intense weather was brought on by a “potent Pineapple Express,” the National Weather Service warned this week, using the term for an atmospheric river that brings moisture-rich low pressure waves from around the Hawaiian Islands to the Pacific Coast.
Losing a Family of Trees in downtown San Francisco after a storm last week: a meteorological warning warning for the next few days
In downtown San Francisco, winds snapped a mature landscaping tree off at its base and dropped it onto a Honda sedan, trapping a family in their car next to the San Francisco Public Library’s main branch. Firefighters who used chainsaws to rescue the family reported that the occupants were OK.
“Fallen trees are all around in the Bay Area, and power lines have been taken down,” BART stated in a statement.
Two deaths have been linked to the bad weather. A child is thought to be under 2 years old, and has been killed by a tree in Sonoma County, according to The Press Democrat.
The woman who died after crashing her car into a utility pole on a partially flooded road was 19 years old. The driver hit “a patch of standing water and hydroplaned, losing control of the vehicle, before colliding into a utility pole,” police explained.
Officials in California’s Santa Cruz County are seeing “significant damage” from the storm, adding that enormous waves and high tides have damaged piers along the coastline.
The city’s bronze sea lion sculpture was removed because of rough conditions and is still attached by several bolts.
According to the NWS office in Sacramento, there will be a lot of rain and snow throughout the day and evening.
The’storm parade’ is a term Meteorologists use to describe a series of atmospheric rivers back to back. “That’s really what’s happening right now: We’re looking at having another series of big storms this weekend, and even into next week.”
In nearby San Francisco, some saw localized flooding, mudslides and sinkholes as of Wednesday evening, said Mary Ellen Carol, executive director of the city’s emergency management department.
Weather alerts beyond some that expired Friday are expected to be issued this weekend for places due for a mix of rain and snow. Here is the forecast for millions.
Even a 40 mph wind can do damage when the ground is so saturated from record rainfall earlier this week and the cumulative effect of the new rainfall expected this weekend.
Flood concerns for local streams over the weekend were brought about by the rain. The Colgan Creek, Berryessa Creek, Mark West Creek, Green Valley Creek, and the Cosumnes River all have gauges that are currently above flood stage or expected to be in the next few days.
La Nia and El Nio Forecast Patterns as a Probe of the Seasonal Nature of the Ocean at the Mid-Atmosphere
El Niño and La Niña forecast patterns put out by the Climate Prediction Center give guidelines on what the overall forecast can be during a seasonal time period.
MaryBeth Arcodia is a researcher at Colorado State University and she said that the Pacific Northwest and Southern California experience wetter than normal conditions during La Nia. “This is due to the jet stream being pushed farther north and having a wavier pattern. “
Arcodia explained that atmospheric rivers form during the winter and can be formed during El Nios or La Nias.
The whole season is not meant to be predicted on a day-to-day basis, according to Michael Tippett, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University. It is important to research the patterns.
“There is an element of randomness that is not explained by the patterns,” Tippett told CNN. “This might help us understand why one year is different than the other.”
Michael Anderson told a news briefing on Saturday that officials were keeping an eye on three other systems further out in the ocean and were watching Monday’s storm closely.
Storm Warnings in the Twin Cities and North of Los Angeles, California, based on CNN Weather Brief 2-5-day Forecasts, and Confirmation of a Wetter-than-normal Pattern
The city’s communications infrastructure, cellular and internet, is underground so “as we get more inundation from the rain, we’re seeing more failure around those, what we call lifeline systems” for power and communication, said Carroll.
This has led the prediction center to issue a Level 3 out of 4 risk for excessive rainfall for over 15 million people in the state on Monday including those in San Francisco, Sacramento, Monterey, Fresno, and Oxnard. A Level 4 out of 4 “high risk” notice may become necessary for Monday if the forecast guidance continues to increase rainfall totals, the prediction center wrote in their discussion Sunday morning.
As the storm pushes farther inland, “Localized areas of 5+ feet (of snow) possible along the Sierra crest west of Lake Tahoe. The weather service said there were waves up to 4 feet on Lake Tahoe.
“Overall, there is high confidence (60-80%) that this wetter-than-normal pattern will continue through the next couple of weeks,” the weather service in San Francisco said. “While we don’t have details on how much rain above normal will fall, suffice it to say that the continuation of saturated soils could continue to pose hazards into the third week of January.”
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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 wind chill is 25 degrees below zero according to the weather service.
The worst impacts over the Twin Cities region – which generally includes the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul and their surrounding suburbs – are expected to begin late Wednesday into Thursday. Heavy snow is expected to blanket the grounds fairly quickly – and be accompanied by gusty winds, making traveling a life-threatening task for thousands.
Record-High Wednesday Night Temperatures in the Midwest and the Upper Midwest: State Government and School Cllosures in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
In Texas and Naples, Florida, 98 and 87 degrees were the record highs for Wednesday. In Atlanta, Georgia, a record was set for the month of February with 81 degrees, which is the city’s typical average high in mid-May.
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.
At the same time, it will feel more like early summer across the Southeast and up into the Midwest, as nearly 150 million Americans will see a high above 70 degrees this week. In the Dakotas, highs will be below zero and in Florida they will be in the 90s.
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.
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 governor directed the state’s National Guard, transportation department and state patrol to be prepared to respond to storm impacts.
The cancellations come as more than five million people are under ice storm warnings across northeastern Iowa, southern Wisconsin, northwestern Illinois and southern Michigan. And more than two million people are under blizzard warnings across parts of Wyoming, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota: In addition to the up to 4 inches of snow the state has already seen, snowfall up to 16 inches and winds of 45 mph are also expected.
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. Due to the hazardous weather and road conditions in the region, the Natrona County school district will not be in session on Wednesday.
State Highway Patrol and Energy Emergency Emergency Warnings for Minnesota and Ventura Counties through the First Blitzard Warning since 1989, and a Warning for Los Angeles County, California, on Wednesday
Heavy snow and high winds are predicted to create whiteout conditions in Northern states on Wednesday.
The state of Minnesota’s governors said they would direct the state’s National Guard, transportation department and patrol to be ready to respond when schools were closed.
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.
But that warm front isn’t likely to stick around for much longer. By Thursday, the same storm that’s blanketing the plains will begin to slip into upstate New York and central New England, sending colder temperatures further south by the weekend.
Search and rescue operations were underway Wednesday evening in several counties across Wyoming to recover motorists that become trapped in heavy snow, the state highway patrol said.
In Minnesota, swaths of which saw 3-7 inches with locally higher amounts as of early Thursday, more than 160 vehicle crashes were reported and dozens of cars spun off roads Wednesday, Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson Lt. Gordon told his followers in a series of messages.
Governor Tony Evers declared a statewide energy emergency in Wisconsin on Wednesday after the state was hit by snow and freezing rain.
Los Angeles and Ventura Counties will be under a storm warning from Friday morning through Saturday afternoon, according to the weather. That will be the first blizzard warning issued by the weather service’s Los Angeles office since 1989, it said.
Mid-Atlantic Storms, Thunderstorms and Freeze-Out of Boats Revisited: Snowfall in the Northern Rockies and Southern Heat Waves
The dueling winter storm and southern heat wave created a stark 100-degree temperature difference between the Northern Rockies and the South earlier this week.
The international airport in Green Bay canceled most of its flights on Thursday morning, as a precautionary measure.
The offices of the Governor of Maine will be closed on Thursday as the storm brings significant snow to most of the state.
Atlanta was 81 degrees on Wednesday, an all-time record in February. Washington, D.C., reached 79 degrees, New Orleans reached 83 degrees and Nashville, Tenn., was 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 at risk of having small tornadoes.
The region has been issued a freeze warning for the evening and Saturday mornings. The sub-freezing conditions will be especially dangerous to unsheltered populations, crops and unprotected outdoor plumbing.
Michigan was hit with freezing rain and ice that made travel unreliable and posed a risk for livestock and infrastructure. Port Austin and Midland saw the most snow, with 8 inches and 8.9 inches respectively. The National Weather Service reported that the southern portions of the state had high accumulations of ice.
