CNN Weather Brief: The Cold Weather Forecast for the Southern Hemisphere during the Very Early Stages of the Winter Storm and the Long-Term Effects of a Major Winter Storm
CNN Weather Brief, which is one of the weekly weather newsletters, first published a version of this article. You can sign up here to receive them every week and during significant storms.
The National Weather Service said conditions are expected to remain frigid and hazardous on Monday, but start to moderate on Tuesday then continue to slowly improve as the week moves ahead.
“A more active fall weather pattern is expected to evolve by the end of this week and continuing into the weekend as a couple of cold fronts move across the central and eastern states,” the Weather Prediction Center said.
“Very heavy snowfall rates reaching 1 to 2 inches/hour will be likely across areas of interior New York and central New England,” the Weather Prediction Center at the National Weather Service said Thursday. Travel conditions are expected to be bad.
The next five days will see between 2 Inches and 6 Inches of rain across most of the West. There is a chance of up to 6 inches of rain along the coast.
“By late Tuesday night and more exceptionally on Wednesday, the major winter storm will take shape and spread tremendous snowfall, both in coverage, rates, and amounts, across the High Plains and Upper Midwest.”
The Mississippi River Valley area will get much needed relief from the storm because it is forecast to track across the areas that have been hit by severe weather.
The weather is bad with a huge winter storm in the US, with snow and icy weather in the Midwest, and severe storms in the Gulf Coast.
The weekend in Northern California resulted in the deaths of many people due to flooding and heavy snow. It also raises questions about how much precipitation will affect the state of California’s drought conditions.
According to the NWS in Portland, there will be strong winds and gusts as high as 60 mph in the Portland metro and the Willamette Valley. The coast has gusts of 50 to 70 mph.
The snowfall is mostly in the Interior Northeast and New England, but things could possibly change between now and then.
It was dangerous to drive on highways from Wyoming to Missouri, as wind and snow reduced visibility. Officials in multiple states, including Colorado and Illinois, urged drivers to avoid travel if at all possible.
Matthew Elliott, a meteorologist at the Storm Prediction Center, told CNN that December tornadoes are less likely than in the springtime because they’re more likely across parts of the Southeast and Lower Mississippi Valley.
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 could see tornadoes, high wind gusts and damaging hail.
“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.
First Day of the Snowpack Season: The Palisades Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, California, Received More Than 35 inches of Snow
California is off to a quick start with the first snow of the season, good news for the state and some improvement in the weather. As of late last week, the state’s snowpack was running more than 150% of normal, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
As much as five feet of snow could accumulate atop the mountains of the Sierra, where a winter storm warning is in effect until Sunday.
The passes need to be closed for a period of time due to the amount of snow, which will impact traffic getting to and from Los Angeles, the National Weather Service said.
Mark Deutschendorf, a forecaster with the National Weather Service office in Reno, said that the winter snowpack is more than double what he expected.
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.
He said he iscautiously optimistic about the precipitation that should help put a stop to the state not having any grass to grow.
“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. Since December 1st, we have 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.
The Northern Hemisphere has been untouched by the recent Alaska snow and cold storms, and the number of tornadoes observed on Tuesday morning in Wayne
The National Weather Service office in Rapid City, South Dakota, said travel through the area will be nearly impossible Tuesday and Wednesday, and possibly into Thursday.
Snow, rain, ice, wind and frigid temperatures are disrupting air travel plans across the United States as well as bus and Amtrak passenger train service.
The recent storms that hit Alaska are historic in nature, with anywhere between 30 and 45 inches of snow, according to a statement to CNN Monday.
These areas need the moisture and have seen great relief to drought conditions in the past week. Tennessee, for example, went from 96% of the state under drought to being at 46% this week.
There were no deaths or injuries due to the tornado, McClain County Sheriff’s Capt. Bryan Murrell said something. But as authorities began assessing the damage to the town of Wayne on Tuesday morning, it was clear the damage was widespread.
National Weather Service meteorologist Doug Speheger said wind speeds reached 111-135 mph (179-211 kph) and the tornado was rated EF-2. The weather service said that it was likely on the ground for between two and four minutes.
In Texas, at least two tornadoes were spotted along the front edge of the storm as it headed toward the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area Tuesday morning, though the extent of any damage was not immediately known.
Injuries after a tornado hit South Dakota, killing 17 people and injuring 13 others in Pecan Farms, South Carolina, Monday morning
“There’s essentially no one traveling right now, that’s all we have,” said the Flying J truck stop manager. He probably won’t be able to get home on Tuesday since the roads were closed. “I can see to the first poles outside the doors, but I can’t see the rest of the lot right outside. I’ll probably just get a motel room here tonight.”
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety said that it is a storm not to be messed with. People were urged to stock up on essentials and stay home.
The National Weather Service’s headquarters in Maryland said this week will be busy as the system moves across the country.
In northern Utah, a tour bus crashed Monday morning as snow and frigid temperatures blanketed the region. The Highway Patrol said in a statement that the bus flipped onto its side in Tremonton after the driver lost control. The Highway Patrol said 23 passengers were injured, including some seriously.
Dozens of homes and businesses were damaged by the line of thunderstorms, and several people were injured in the suburbs and counties stretching north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Over 100 were canceled and over one thousand flights were delayed, according to the Flightaware tracking service.
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.
A possible tornado blew the roof off the city’s service center — a municipal facility — and left pieces of the roof hanging from powerlines, said Trent Kelley, deputy director of Grapevine Parks and Recreation.
Photos were sent by the city showing fallen power lines, trees, damaged buildings, and a semitrailer that was tossed around a parking lot.
All of Colorado’s roads were closed in the northeast. In the ranching region, the weather can threaten livestock. Extreme winds can push livestock through fences as they follow the gale’s direction, said Jim Santomaso, a northeast representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association.
Minnesota Snow, Ice, and Rain During the Decay of the Upper Midwest and Long-Term Conditions After a Large-Scale Winter Storm
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. Minnesota was expecting a lull Wednesday, followed by a second round of snow.
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.
Hochul said at the news conference that the event is a “life-threatening dangerous event”. Take care of yourselves and protect your families. Don’t travel until the roads are open, you know they are safe.
Hochul urged everyone in the impacted regions to avoid unnecessary travel tonight and tomorrow. “Work from home if possible, stay off the roads, and make sure you and your loved ones remain vigilant.”
Many airports across the US, including those in the South and Northeast, have released travel waivers in anticipation of the upcoming week of travel nightmares, because of the danger of poor visibility in the cold weather.
A strong storm system bringing heavy rain, mountain snow and hurricane-force wind gusts to much of the drought-parched western United States has left more than 115,000 customers without power as the region braces for more wet, blustery weather in coming days.
Strong winds in the Midwest can cause power lines to fall, especially in areas that have already seen a lot of snow. Millions will be left with a way to stay warm as temperatures plummet.
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 left without proper heating after powerful winds wreaked havoc on power lines in the Upper Midwest.
Minnesota Power Outage Due to Rain, Snow and Wind from the Stochastic Flare of August 21, 2001 in the Windy City of Western New York
A mother and her son were killed in a tornado in Louisiana on Tuesday, according to local officials.
Western states are expected to get rain or snow with the greatest impact in California. Power has been knocked out to about 180,000 customers in Oregon, 28,000 in Washington state, and 22,000 in California by Tuesday afternoon due to rain, snow and wind.
As of Monday morning, about 183,000 customers were still without heat and lights, down from a peak of 1.7 million earlier in the week, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us.
State police in Vermont said officers responded to a multitude of car crashes Friday and advised drivers to slow down. Some roads were also 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.
“We are watching two different weather events right now – one producing rain and snow this morning for most of the state, and the other has the potential to bring several feet of snow in the Tug Hill Plateau and areas along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario,” said Jackie Bray, the commissioner of New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services.
The city in western New York got a whopping 55.8 inches of snow this month. In December 2001, Buffalo got 80.7 inches of snow, which is the most snow in a month in 20 years.
“Snow showers are gradually coming to an end across the region with only light scattered snow showers expected through Saturday morning,” the weather service said.
The incoming arctic front will then cross over the northern Rockies, Great Basin and Northern Plains regions, sending temperatures plummeting as low as minus 30 degrees and winds gusting as fast as 60 mph.
The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center said weekend “temperatures will be 25 to 35 degrees below average from east of the Rockies to the Appalachians.”
It’s going to be very cold in the South. The wind chill will drop to minus 11 on Saturday mornings in Atlanta and Nashville.
When there is a falling or blowing snow combined with winds over 35 mph, visibility can be reduced to a quarter of a mile.
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.
There is snow and ice covering the whole region of the northern hemisphere. There is a source freezer in the northern part of the world, said Greg Carbin, branch chief at the prediction center. The cold air can hold on to those characteristics because of the snow cover in the north-central United States.
The Midwest Snowfall and Wind-Clean Storms During the Last Three Days of the Avatar from the I-95 Snowmass
As the storm moves east this week, it stands to make holiday travel difficult, if not dangerous, in many places, with forecasters urging people to be prepared to make changes.
To qualify as a “bomb,” the pressure at the center of the storm must drop rapidly at a rate of at least 24 millibars over 24 hours. (A millibar measures atmospheric pressure, and it translates to the amount of force it takes to move an object weighing 1 gram for 1 centimeter in one second.) When a cold air mass meets a warm air mass, bomb cyclones form. In Montana, temperatures dropped 26 degrees Fahrenheit in just three minutes on Wednesday morning, according to the NWS.
I-95 gets a lot of rain, which can cause problems if you are in the areas that are now seeing snow. You can see some of the storm water melting.
It is now possible for millions to have a white Christmas. There was snow on the ground and it was cold, which made it a given that some areas.
The DC area will likely get at least one inch of snow on Christmas Day. I would be willing to raise the chance up to a 30% with the pattern coming together the way it is, and it could increase very substantially here in the next couple of days.
There are more than 90 million people under winter weather alerts and more than 87 million people under wind chill alerts. The alerts stretch across 37 states, dipping as far south as the Texas/Mexico border.
There are wind chill warnings in place for Fargo, North Dakota, and Sioux, South Dakota, when the danger of frostbite is rising. Wind chill, which indicates what the wind feels like, will be as low as 40 degrees below zero.
A winter storm warning is also in effect for northeastern Oregon, including Portland, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. PST. There is a chance of snow, sleet, and ice with a total of up to one inch, as well as winds gusting to 55 mph. Wind chills as low as zero are possible, and frostbite is possible on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
Chicago will experience a swath of icy weather on Thursday. This far out, it is difficult to know precisely where ice will occur in the Ohio Valley. Stay tuned with the forecast if you live in these areas, because freezing rain and sleet could halt your travel plans and even cause power outages.
Water pipes are at risk of bursting, according to the weather service. A wind chill watch for Amarillo, Texas, is in effect from Wednesday night through Friday afternoon.
The weather service said that outdoor pipes will be at risk due to cold and windy weather this week. “Make sure to cover pipes and let faucets drip!”
The latest bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS) names the cause as a “strong arctic high pressure system,” which swept down from Canada on Tuesday and appears poised to march towards the Southeast on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving a wake of life-threatening weather systems across 17 states.
That could be good news for winter travelers. Airlines flying to or from the Great Lakes region were the most impacted by the flight delays and canceled flights on Monday.
Forecasts for Denver, Md., for a high of 47 degrees and minus 14 degrees during the week-long Low-Temperature Winter Storm
Those venturing outside should dress in layers, cover their skin and change into dry clothing as soon as possible. Staying indoors is the best way to prevent it, experts say.
Denver will go from a high of 47 to a low of minus 14 on Thursday. The weather service says that will be the city’s lowest temperature in over 30 years.
The Ohio and Tennessee Valleys are expected to get a lot of freezing rain and sleet on Monday morning, while a mass of cold air sweeps across the plains and Upper Midwest, dropping temperatures to 30 degrees below average. Meanwhile, snow is expected in parts of the Central Appalachians and showers are forecast for parts of the Lower Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, as well as parts of the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast.
As the storm reaches the Great Lakes, the weather service predicts it will reach the pressure equivalent of a Category 3 tornado, making it a once-in-a-generation event.
In this case, it’s possible that the whole story isn’t told by snow totals. Poor visibility and slick spots can be caused by even small snow quantities and strong wind gusts. The weather service stated that these conditions can increase the danger.
A High-Frequency State of Emergency declared by the Kentucky Governor, Andy Beshear, and the O’Hare International Airport
Governors in Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Wyoming declared states of emergency. Governors in Indiana, Colorado and Missouri activated the National Guard.
The declaration will allow propane to be delivered to both commercial and residential needs, the governor said.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also declared a state of emergency, with wind gusts expected to reach 40 to 50 mph on Friday and minus 10 to minus 26 degrees wind chills expected on Saturday. Beshear asked residents to stay out of the roads, and to have a backup heat source.
Some US airports were most affected by delays and canceled flights according to the Misery Map. Buffalo Niagara International airport tweeted that it would remain closed entirely until Monday, December 26.
At one point Thursday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, delays averaging 159 minutes – almost three hours – were being caused by snow and ice, according to a notice from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Temperatures at the O’Hare dropped to 9 degrees Fahrenheit (-13 Celsius) around 5 p.m. local time. The National Weather Service has reported snow and freezing fog.
The spraying of de-icing fluid is required for safe travel at the Dallas Love, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver and Minneapolis airports.
Heavy rain and strong winds could cause flight activity at LaGuardiaAirport to be disrupted. Travelers, please confirm flight status with your airline before heading to the airport,” LaGuardia Airport posted on Twitter. John F. Kennedy, Newark Airport and other airports had similar notices.
The security agency is suggesting that passengers arrive earlier than usual if their flights are still scheduled to fly.
John Busch, Reagan National Airport’s safety director, told reporters that the airports are expecting to be more busy this holiday season than they have been in the past. 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.”
Greyhound Annihilation Trips to Clear Lake, Iowa, and Implications for Chicago, Minnesota, and Minneapolis, including Minnesota and Minneapolis
Maria Ihekwaba told CNN she was trying to get to Clear Lake, Iowa as soon as she could.
Traveler Kari Lucas, from San Diego, told CNN she was visiting her sister and brother-in-law, but cut the trip short as she didn’t want to get caught in the impending weather.
She said that San Diego doesn’t get these snowstorms. “So I don’t like it to be trapped in the airport for long periods of time.”
Greyhound said Saturday that it was canceling a lot of its scheduled bus services this weekend due to the winter weather in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest. Routes leaving from Buffalo and Syracuse in New York are among those that have been affected. Greyhound advised passengers to check bustracker.greyhound.com for the latest updates.
More than a dozen cities, including West Virginia and Minnesota, were listed by Greyhound as being impacted. They include:
Chicago and Charleston, West Virginia. The cities are Cleveland and Dallas. Denver and Detroit are in Illinois, Davenport and Iowa. Indianapolis• Kansas City• Minneapolis• St. Louis• Wichita, Kansas
Amtrak’s Snow Removal Alert for the Mid-Atlantic Low-Centimeter Interaction in the Rocky Mountain Valley
In its notice, Amtrak said that “customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day.
“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. The temperature dropped in nine minutes on Wednesday night in Wyoming.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas told CNN it will be able to meet demand when temperatures plummet.
“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 sufficient generation to meet demand throughout this entire winter weather event.”
City officials stressed that crews were working around the clock to keep flights moving at the city’s major airports, O’Hare and Midway, both of which serve as hubs for major airlines.
More than 350 pieces of snow removal equipment, 400,000 gallons of liquid deicer, and 5,000 tons of salt are what the city’s deputy aviation commissioner said these hardworking individuals will have at their disposal.
Hundreds of miles away in Kansas City, the winter weather brought only an inch or two of snow. The city’s homeless services were strained because of the expected cold temperatures for a few days.
Many area shelters are at or near capacity, despite having added beds this week. The streetcar’s route and platforms were cleared by 4 a.m. on Thursday, but some people chose to wait out the storm on the streetcar.
The library is closed. Pete said he didn’t have a permanent place to live and that he’d probably be kicked out if he went into a parking garage. “There’s not a lot you can do.”
The Montana Highway Patrol is Going Through a High-Temperature Winter: The Denver Collisons at 6 p.m. Wednesday
This winter isn’t as bad as it was in the past, but it’s still nothing new to Montana. We know how to get through things like this because we’ve been running cattle for a long time.
The high temperature in the area on Thursday was expected to be minus 13, so Hank said he would be working to keep hay out for his animals.
This report was compiled with the help of Bruce Konviser, WPLN’s Paige Pflager, the Associated Press and NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly.
“Our troopers, our highway maintainers, our snowplow drivers have been up all night long,” Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon told NPR Thursday. We are pretty good about our circumstances because they have been doing a great job and traffic is moving again.
Denver has three 24-hour warming centers for anyone who needs a warm place to stay. The coliseum reached its full capacity late Wednesday night, accommodating 358 people in a space that was supposed to hold 220. All three centers will remain open through noon on Saturday.
There was online conversation on how to get more people off the streets as a result of the issue of homelessness.
“As a public defender, I’ve seen new clients get arrested so they can find some warmth on Rikers Island, instead of dying on the street,” wrote Scott Hechinger, a lecturer and long-time public defender.
New York and Kentucky Winter Storms, Power Outages, and Sheriff’s Law in Staggered Cargo on the Long Island Rail Road
Hundreds of miles of road were closed due to road construction, and flights were being canceled at an alarming rate. 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. Everyone in the family and friends agreed it was 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. The man’s body was found outside with no obvious signs of trauma and an autopsy would determine the cause of death, police said.
One person was killed when they lost control of their Dodge Caravan on an icy road in Kansas City. “The Dodge went down the embankment, over the cement retaining wall and landed upside down, submerged in Brush Creek,” police said in a statement.
“The National Weather Service’s Watch Warning graphic depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” the agency said Thursday.
The kitchen sink storm is throwing everything at us but the kitchen sink, according to Hochul. Mother nature has wreaked havoc on us this weekend, with ice, flooding, snow and freezing temperatures.
Brian Trzeciak was in his home at the time of the storm. zero visibility was reported at the airport shortly after noon on Friday.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/23/weather/christmas-arctic-winter-storm-poweroutages-friday/index.html
Frozen Snow and Snow in the NWS and Nashville, WA, on Friday and Saturday, with the Washington, DC, Department of Emergency Preparedness
“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.”
Areas will see both extremes. The Washington, DC, area will fall below freezing late Friday, with snow and rain most likely on Saturday, according to the NWS. There will be strong winds in many places.
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 suspended all express services on Friday due to the icy conditions.
There were at least six people killed in crashes with four of them dead in a pileup on the OHio toll road.
Meanwhile, WPLN’s Paige Pfleger reported that plunging temperatures are putting pressure on a power grid not accustomed to this cold, and that the Tennessee Valley Authority has asked local utilities to cut their electricity use. Customers in Nashville will experience 10-minute outages every few hours, until the power load stabilizes.
A vice president of security and readiness at the Edison states that getting the power back on in winter is a challenge.
Sometimes it can be difficult to get to these areas because of the downed power lines and trees. If there is a wind of 35 miles an hour or higher, crews cannot climb in bucket trucks. “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. There were interior locations on the Hudson River that were flooded.
New York State Emergency Services after a “Bomb Cyclone” of December 24, 2005: The Buffalo, NY, Superstorm Was a Once-in-a-Generation Storm
“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,” bringing blizzard and winter weather alerts along with whiteout conditions. In New York state, the heavy snow left emergency vehicles stranded and caused widespread power outages.
State and zip codes were listed on the service alert page. It had previously warned that delivery and pickup services may be affected.
FedEx said it was having disruptions at two processing hubs and that it expected delays for package deliveries across the US through Monday, December 26.
As of Friday, the USPS said it had temporarily shut down 89 post offices, and Amazon said it “temporarily closed” some of its sites in the impacted areas.
A massive winter storm that’s killed about 50 people across the U.S. is expected to claim more lives as the frigid weather continues into the week. The mayor of Buffalo characterized the storm as a “once-in-a- generation storm” in which more than half the deaths occurred.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told NPR’s Morning Edition that his city’s emergency responders have gone “car by car” to perform hundreds of rescues of stranded motorists.
“This has been called a generational storm — a once-in-a-generation storm,” Brown said. It’s unlike anything Buffalo is used to getting.
The National Grid Response to the Rolling Blackouts and the First Snowfall in the Mid-Atlantic Region: A Winter Wonderland for Arborists and Trees
“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.
The NWS still advises caution for anyone looking to venture outside: High wind speeds and low temperatures are a recipe for frostbite, which can take root in less than 10 minutes of exposure.
A village in New Yorks Lewis County was buried in snow. The conditions were difficult for snowplows to navigate the roads, according to WWNY.
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 on December 25, 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.
“The consecutive dry summers that we’ve had, especially the heat events like the heat dome, that really damages trees and it takes up so much of their energy to fuel their immune systems to fight off pathogens,” Bourgeois said.
Saying goodbye to the warmth in Sacramento (Calif.) During a powerful weather storm on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 2.4 TeV
The old record for rain in Portland was 1.08 inches. It was the third-wettest day of the year 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. Between today and Tuesday, there will be a big drop in temperatures. The storm system will cause 15-20 degrees of cooling.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — 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.
A Sacramento Municipal Utility District online map showed more than 153,000 customers were affected by power outages on Saturday. The utility said in a statement that it was working to restore power during the winter storm and that additional resources were being prepared.
“Too many road closings to count at this point,” the weather agency in Sacramento said. There was a warning from the county that flooded roads may cut off access to leave the area.
California’s Second Wetest Day on Record: Atmospheric River Rain Snow Snowfall in the First Month of the California Superstorm
Saturday’s 5 inches of rain in downtown San Francisco made it the second wettest day on record. With rain continuing to fall, it could threaten the nearly three-decade old record.
The California Highway Patrol said a section of U.S. 101 — one of the state’s main traffic arteries — was closed indefinitely south of San Francisco because of flooding. A staircase in Oakland turned into a waterfall after heavy rains, while mud-colored water flowed along San Francisco streets.
The weather service predicts that the storm will cause rain in the area before moving to the 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.
The Sacramento agency released a map of 24-hour precipitation through Saturday morning, showing a wide range of totals in the region, from less than an inch (2.54 centimeters) in some areas to more than 5 inches (12.7 centimeters) in the Sierra foothills.
The police department posted photos of a railroad underpass that was flooded and a car that was stuck in the water.
The rain was welcomed in California, but much more precipitation is necessary to make a difference. The past three years have been California’s driest on record.
A flood watch was put in place across most of Northern California. Some officials warned that rivers and streams could overflow and urged residents to get ready for it.
The National Weather Service said that roads in Humboldt County had started to flood, as a result of the earthquake. 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
Memphis-Jackiw Record-Breaking Rainstorms in the First Three Days of Winter Weather in the Eastern US and a Record-breaking High Temperature Record in Memphis
It was the first of several storms that will hit the state. 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.
“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.
There was a flood watch issued for the eastern Sierra and northern Nevada where minor to moderate flooding was forecast along some rivers and streams.
Cities including Tallahassee, Albany, Charlotte, Virginia Beach, Atlanta, Raleigh and Norfolk could see winds and tornadoes. Heavy rain could also produce flash flooding in parts of Mississippi.
A tornado watch is in effect for much of western and southern Alabama until 4 a.m. CST and for parts of Georgia, Florida and Alabama until noon eastern.
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 got 2.48 inches on Tuesday, beating a previous daily record of 1.69 inches in 1951.
An extremely warm and moist air mass over the East Coast and Southeast helped fuel the severe weather outbreak. Over 35 daily high temperature records were broken across the Eastern US on Tuesday, with the thermometer hitting 81 degrees in Baton Rouge, 77 degrees in Wilmington and 69 degrees in Washington D.C.
Icy Roads and Slick Roads in Jessieville, Arkansas, and Other Regions: Weather Forecasts for Southern Illinois and South Carolina
Damage was also reported in Jessieville, Arkansas, where multiple buildings of a school sustained damage as trees and powerlines toppled, alogn with several homes in the area, according to the Garland County Sheriff’s Office.
“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.
“The best thing is my husband and I are alive. Material things can be replaced but our lives cannot, and we just thank God that we are here,” homeowner Sylvia Hester told the station, standing alongside her husband next to their damaged home of two decades.
Damage reports were also coming from northern Louisiana, where several transmission highline towers were damaged in the Haile community in Marion. According to the National Weather Service in Shreveport, at least one of the towers was knocked over.
People in Jackson Parish, Louisiana, were told to stay indoors on Monday as severe weather caused downed trees and powerlines, and covered roads with water.
The state received a lot of rain recently that caused the soils to be saturated and susceptible to flooding, according to the Weather Service.
An ice storm warning goes into effect Monday evening for Memphis and surrounding areas in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. Travel could be nearly impossible according to the warning.
Heavy rain and flash flooding are possible in the eastern parts of the state on Tuesday, with residents in cities such as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin expecting icy roads as well as some sleet.
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 be on the lookout for black ice and slippery roads.
Sleet, freezing rain and ice had also moved north into southern Oklahoma and parts of Arkansas, where hazardous road conditions were making driving dangerous and at least one accident was reported. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she activated winter weather support teams from the Arkansas National Guard.
And as freezing drizzle spread into central Illinois Sunday evening, the weather service office in Lincoln warned that slick roadways, sidewalks and parking lots are possible. The forecasters said to use caution if heading out tonight.
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. isolated areas along the highway saw higher snow totals, between 1 and 5 inches.
“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.
State of Emergency for Little Rock, Arkansas During the Early Stages of Ice Formation: A Request for Additional State Resources from the Emergency Management Division
The governor is asking for additional resources from the emergency management division in order to be able to respond through Thursday.
The winter weather support teams of the state’s National Guard were activated as ice began forming on the roads in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the governor declared a state of emergency.
Sarah Huckabee said that she encouraged Arkansans who are experiencing winter weather to avoid travel if possible.
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 could be a very dangerous situation.
Hundreds of car crashes occurred in Texas on Tuesday due to unsafe travel conditions. Emergency workers responded to people suffering from hypothermia or those injured after slipping on ice.
Twitter Follow-Up: Text Alerts to Truck Staggered Drivers, Clear Roads and Emergency Services in the Panhandle, Texas, Following the Deadliest Trucks Loss
We expect sufficient generation to meet forecasted demand and are watching forecasts this week. We’re not asking for anything at the moment. We are informing the public that IF they are experience an outage to reach out to their local power provider,” the agency said in an email.
“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.
The woman died this week after losing control of her truck on an icy road, 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.”
The weather service in Dallas said to be prepared for tree limb breakage and power cuts in the region.
Gov. Greg Abbot said that the Texas National Guard is ready to help stranded motorists, clear roads and give welfare checks. And Texas Parks and Wildlife has at least 30 responders ready for search and rescue operations.
Anomalous High-Temperature Temperatures in the Mid-Atlantic Northwest, Cascade Mountains, and Northwest Counties
The Pacific Northwest has the potential to get gusts up to 60 mph with three feet of snow in the highest altitudes, while theCascade Mountains have the ability to get up to three feet. Seas just offshore will be as high as 20 feet, bringing large, breaking waves to coastal areas, causing beach erosion.
The southern section of Wyoming has nearly two feet of snow with winds gusting more than 70 mph creating blinding conditions. The wind chill is 25 degrees below zero, according to the weather service.
It will be a wild week, whether you are buried under three feet of snow or basking in the sun and record warmth.
The term the NWS Climate Prediction Center and many forecasters are using to describe the overall weather pattern is “anomalous” — for the unusual cold and warmth that people will experience.
“Highs Tuesday will be similarly above average for most locations, including 70s expanding northward into the Mid-Atlantic,” the NWS said, “with only the northern tier cooling off as the clipper system passes through.”
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 can be seen in May or early June when they average around 35 degrees above normal.
More than 130 cities are likely to set new daily and monthly high temperature records from Tuesday to Friday.