California digs out after a powerful storm dumps rain and snow
New Year’s Eve Snowfalls in the Southern Suburbs of the Lower Mississippi River Valley: A Snowstorm System Approaching the Northern United States
A powerful storm system that hit California on New Year’s Eve causing widespread flooding and power outages, is making its way into the central US as over 15 million people from the west coast to Illinois are under winter weather warnings.
In California, 48 inches of snow fell in Twin Bridges in a 48-hour period, 46 inches fell in Tahoe-Donner, 45 inches in Donner Peak and 44 inches at Palsades Tahoe Ski Base.
A multi-day severe storm threat begins Monday for parts of the South and southern central US. A slight threat for severe weather has been issued for parts of western and central Kansas and Oklahoma into northwestern Texas.
The threat does, however, strengthen as the system heads east Tuesday, likely impacting a large swath of the Lower Mississippi River Valley. Areas including Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Shreveport in Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi, could see tornadoes, high wind gusts and damaging hail.
There is a chance of snow in the Rockies, northern Plains, and parts of the Midwest on Monday.
There is a good chance of 2 feet of snow in the high Sierra Nevada on Sunday. The National Weather Service warned about the dangers of driving in snowy conditions and posted photos on its website showing traffic on snow covered mountain passes.
Dozens of drivers were rescued on New Year’s Eve along Interstate 80 near Lake Tahoe after cars spun out in the snow, the California Department of Transportation said. The key route to the mountains from the San Francisco Bay Area reopened early Sunday to passenger vehicles with chains.
“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 like Christmas out here. “It didn’t come with a lot of wind, and it stuck to everything. It’s like a picture postcard.”
The snowfalls so far are impressive, butDeutschendorf is cautiously optimistic that this precipitation will make a difference in the state’s arid climate.
“We Are Buried”: An Olympic Valley, Calif., meteorological storm on December 1st, 2014. More than 35 inches of snow in the next 24 hours
“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 storm is definitely something to remember. Since December 1st, we’ve received 7.5 feet of snow. 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.
A big river storm pulled up a lot of water from the Pacific Ocean. Some of the state’s roads were closed by flooding and rock slides.
“More widespread freezing rain/sleet is expected Tuesday and Wednesday morning, with worsening travel impacts during this time,” the local weather agency said.
As the storm hit the Bay Area with the strongest winds, wind gusts in central California had already reached hurricane force. Peak wind gusts at 85 mph were recorded in Nicasio Hills, and 77 mph in Los Gatos.
The heavier rain will move through southern California, especially Los Angeles, during the day on Thursday. Greater amounts of rain are possible, with a widespread total of 2 to 4 inches.
There is a state of California. On Saturday, a strong storm snarled traffic and closed highways in California on the eve of a new year.
There were 103,000 homes, businesses and other power customers without power across California and Nevada as of Sunday night, down from a high of more than 300,000 outages on Saturday, according to Poweroutage. US.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office: The Sacramento Weather Agency is Closed to Count for the Second Rainest Day in California’s State Route 99
“Too many road Closed to count at this time” said the weather agency in Sacramento. 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 rain in San Francisco made it the second wettest day on record, coming after a 1994 deluge. The nearly three decades old record could be in danger with rain continuing.
The California Department of Transportation said on its website that the highway was shut down due to flooding from the Cosumnes River. One of the state’s heavily traveled and commercially important corridors, is known as State Route 99.
The weather service believes that the storm can cause over an inch of rain in the Sacremento area. The chair lifts at one ski resort have been closed because of flooding and operational problems and they posted a photo on the social media site showing empty chairs and a lift tower surrounded by water.
A map released by the agency showed a wide range of totals ranging from less than an inch in some places to more than 12 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’s Wet Droughts Turned Dry over the Last Three Years: Flood Warnings, Flood Watches, and Emergency Rescue Crews
The rain was welcomed in drought-parched California, but much more precipitation is needed to make a significant difference. The last three years have been the driest on record in California.
A Flash Flood Watch was in place along and west of 5 Freeway to the Sacramento River, where there were worries about excessive rainfall and flooding on the Cosumnes and Mokelumne Rivers.
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. The bridge, which was temporarily shut down last week due to the earthquake, could be closed again if the Eel River gets too high.
It was the first of several storms expected to roll across California over the next week. While the current system is expected to be hot and dry, next week’s storms will be cold, said Hannah Chandler-Cooley, a meteorological forecaster at the National Weather Service.
“Strong winds could cause tree damage and lead to power outages and high waves on Lake Tahoe may capsize small vessels,” the weather service in Reno said.
On the Sierra’s eastern front, flood watches and warnings were issued into the weekend north and south of Reno, Nevada, where minor to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams.
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.
The Cosumnes, Mokelumne, and Mormon rivers were on the rise, according to the National Weather Service. Flood warnings were issued for parts of the Sierra foothills.
Three communities near the city of Watsonville were also told to evacuate by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office due to creek flooding, while the rising San Lorenzo River waters prompted evacuations in the communities of Paradise Park and Felton.
Because of the yearslong drought, the ground can only absorb so much water and in many areas has already reached its saturation point from storms in late December and over New Year’s weekend. As a result, the influx of water is expected to unleash major flooding in some places.
The Sacramento County area was particularly hard hit, with emergency crews spending the weekend rescuing multiple flood victims by boats and helicopter and responding to fallen trees and disabled vehicles in the flood waters, the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District said.
The Amador County Sheriff’s Office shared an image of cars up to their door handle in floods and said there were reports of mudslides and trees blocking roads.
Sacramento County, Calif., Secretary of State, Superintendent of Public Works, and Supervisor of Mountain Ski Area, Announced Sheriff’s Emergency Operation, a response to flood waters from Highway 99
Hours after a section of Highway 50 was shut down due to flood waters from the American River, it was reopened just after midnight.
In Sacramento County and adjacent areas, residents were advised to avoid travel as wind gusts of up to 55 mph toppled trees and covered roads with debris, according to a tweet from the National Weather Service in Sacramento.
The state of emergency was declared by the county because of the flooding caused by the atmospheric river.
Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 feet were expected above 7,000 feet, and isolated accumulations of 5 feet were possible above 9,000 feet, the Weather Service said.
More than 4 feet (1.2 meters) of snow had accumulated in the high Sierra Nevada, and the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area said heavy, wet snow would cause major delays in chairlift openings. On Saturday, the resort reported numerous lift closings, citing high winds, low visibility and ice.
The California Highway Patrol reported that the driving conditions were dangerous and difficult at the Nevada State line.
Aerial video from CNN affiliate KCRA showed cars submerged past their doorhandles in flood waters from Highway 99 and the Dillard Street area. The captain of the Cosumnes Fire Department told the station that many people had been saved.
With the region drying out on New Year’s Day and no rain expected during the Rose Parade in Pasadena, spectators were staked out for the annual floral spectacle.
High-Speed Water Showers and Flooding Forecasts in Southern California during a Last-Dimensional Northern California Hurricane Earlier this Year
Another round of heavy showers was also forecast for Southern California on Tuesday or Wednesday, the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles-area office said.
At least two people died in the storm, one who was found dead in a completely submerged vehicle in Sacramento County, and a man who died after being hit by a tree at a Santa Cruz park, according to officials.
Glanville Tract, and Franklin Pond were under an evacuated warning and an order to evacuate was issued for the rural areas of Point Pleasant.
The flooding from the Cosumnes River and the Mokelumne River is moving southwest and could reach these areas in the middle of the night, according to the agency.
The storm became a bomb cyclone Wednesday, after it rapidly strengthened while still offshore. A bomb cyclone is an area of low pressure that intensifies by 24 millibars within 24 hours. Measurement of atmospheric pressure can be done with magibars.
Rainfall rates over one inch per hour are possible, which could unleash flooding and mudslides on an already saturated region hit with a different storm that brought deadly floods just last weekend.
A large number of state personnel had responded to support San Bernardino County, which was the subject of a state of emergency declaration by Newsom late Wednesday.
State Water Resources Director Elena Nemeth warned that burn scar areas and other sensitive terrain could become the sites of risky mudslides because of the move from extreme to extreme floods.
The fire and rescue equipment were stationed near burn scar areas as the storm moved towards California, with five other counties with flooding concerns as well.
Among areas that were ordered to evacuate was Montecito, which was the scene of a mudslide last year that killed 23 people and splintering more than 100 homes.
Williams is the first district supervisor in Santa Barbara County. “If you live in that red zone, the one thing that we should’ve learned these past five years is that it’s better to play it safe and to evacuate and comply with the order.”
Emergency shelters andevacuation points were set up in Monterey County ahead of the storm, according to the sheriff.
The California Department of Transportation stated that the highway was closed in both directions due to rockslides from Ragged Point to south of Big sur.
A PG&E Emergency Emergency Plan in Oakland, Calif., as a result of a Superstorm Wednesday night that produced an extremely wet, wind-driven winter
San Francisco was under a flood warning Wednesday as the brunt of the storm started to hit the city, with Mayor London Breed saying “floods are inevitable.”
San Francisco fire officials said they rescued a trapped family Wednesday night, sharing images of a crew working to remove a large tree that was on top of a sedan.
Glass fell from the high rise of Fox Plaza earlier in the day, but no one was hurt. “It is unknown at this time if this is wind-related – highly possible though,” the San Francisco Fire Department said in a tweet.
Oakland city officials declared a local emergency Wednesday as a result of the storm that is predicted to affect roads, flooding and public safety.
California’s largest gas and electric utility company, Pacific Gas and Electric, reported the storm was damaging its equipment and causing widespread outages Wednesday evening.
“We’re seeing a significant number of trees falling into our lines, as well as other impacts on our power system,” PG&E’s Teresa Alvarado said on Twitter. We have been preparing for a major repair and restoration effort.
Some Southern California Edison crews are helping in the response, according to the vice president of the Bay Area region.
There will be periods of reprieve over the next two days as the storm continues, but roads are likely to remain dangerously slick as temperatures remain low.
“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.
About 38 million people from Texas and Oklahoma to as far east as Kentucky and West Virginia are under various forms of winter weather alerts, including those warning of dangerous ice accumulations forecast to make roads a nightmare.
According to the National Weather Service, the amount of ice will cause tree damage and power losses across the hardest-hit regions.
Heavy rain and flash flooding is possible in the eastern parts of the state, which is why residents of cities like Dallas, Austin and San Antonio can expect icy roads.
Arkansans Will Not Travel in Winter Weather: Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s Order to Protect the Public Against An Icy Storm
The governor requested that the emergency management division increase its resources so that it could respond through Thursday.
As ice began to form on the roads in Little Rock, Arkansas, the governor ordered the winter weather support teams of the state to be prepared to help the police in their response to the storm.
If possible, Gov. Sarah Huckabee sanders urges Arkansans to avoid travel in winter weather and to listen to their local officials.
The emergency order directs $250,000 toward discretionary use by the head of the state’s Division of Emergency Management to provide funding for program and administrative costs, the order stated.
“The real enemy is going to be that ice,” said Dave Parker, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Transportation. This situation could potentially be very dangerous.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas told CNN it will be able to keep up with residents’ electricity demand as temperatures plummet.
We expect sufficient generation to meet anticipated demand and are monitoring forecasts this week. We aren’t asking forConservation right now. The agency said that they would inform the public if they had an outage.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/31/weather/winter-ice-storm-south-central-us/index.html
Multiple Airlines Cancelations and Over-the-Laser Temperature Record in the Northern Hemisphere During the Second Three-Day Snow and Ice Recessions
In Louisville, Kentucky, there is ice up to two-tenths of an inch, while in Charleston, West Virginia, there is snow up to an inch.
There is snow falling at a heavy rate near the Great Lakes with 40-50 mph winds. Significant impacts that will include major disruptions to travel, infrastructure, livestock and recreation are what the NWS wrote about.
The airports of Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit have all been hit with a lot of cancelations. On Wednesday, more than 1,700 flights were canceled and 5,200 were delayed. Thursday brought more of the same — more than 1,700 flights were canceled and almost 10,000 delayed as of Thursday morning, according to FlightAware.
Simultaneously, parts of the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley are seeing record-setting warmth: The NWS says temperatures on Thursday are forecasted to be as much as 40 degrees above normal.
Atlanta was 81 degrees on Wednesday, an all-time record in February. New Orleans was 83 degrees on Wednesday, while Washington, D.C., and Nashville, Tenn., were both 80 degrees.
State of Emergency in the Northern Sub-Freezing Regime. Snowfall and Ice in the Valley of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties
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.” Small tornadoes on land are a possibility for the two counties.
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.
Michigan was hit with freezing rain and ice that disrupted travel and was risky for livestock and infrastructure. Port Austin and Midland received the most snow, measuring 8 inches and 8.9 inches respectively. Meanwhile southern portions of the state saw high accumulations of ice, according to the National Weather Service.
There is still a chance of more light snow in some parts of southeast Michigan. Meanwhile, across the state, temperatures will be below freezing on Friday. Forecasters expect the weather to warm up by Sunday.
Some residents of California are trapped inside their homes due to the winter storm, which caused a state of emergency in 13 counties.
Authorities there had conducted almost 100 rescues by Wednesday evening, San Bernardino County Fire Chief Dan Munsey said in a news conference, though authorities have not learned of any serious injuries or deaths.
“We’re responding to medical calls. We are responding to fires that are trapped in vehicles. We are going to people’s houses where there have been problems with trees and roofs and they are going to be taken to our shelters, because we want to make sure the people are safe.
The governor’s Office of emergency services has been working with the government to get additional snow plows and road crews to the area.
It could take a week to 10 days to dig out the mountain communities hampered by the heavy snow, officials warned in a news conference Wednesday. Mountain residents were still unable to access roads Wednesday, per fire department spokesperson Eric Sherwin. The public works director stated that the county has about500 miles of winding and tight roads that need to be worked on.
Many parts of California were buried under a significant amount of snow in recent days, and some places received more than 100 inches in the last week, according to the National Weather Service, leading authorities to warn residents about possible avalanches. The three-story apartment building in Olympic Valley had to be evacuated on Tuesday after it was struck by anavalanche and engulfed the bottom two stories. The building’s occupants were uninjured.
Huntington Lake in the Sierra Nevada saw 144 inches of snow, per a report from the Fresno County Office of Emergency Services, which reported 10 to 12 feet of snow near China Peak, leading to the closure of Highway 168.
