There are large swaths of the U.S. facing severe weather
High Winds, Blizzards, and Flooding in the Midwest during a Decaying Snowstorm, as Forecasted by the National Weather Service
From blizzard conditions in the Southwest to more precipitation in the Northeast, people across the country are bracing for bad weather and, in some cases, extreme conditions that could hamper travel.
Meanwhile, in the Midwest, where a snowstorm started Monday, up to 12 inches of snow could blanket a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A National Weather Service forecaster in College Park, Md. said that includes western Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and large parts of Iowa and northern Missouri.
The area was expected to be walloped by a storm that was predicted to dump “many feet of heavy snow” and have strong winds. Blizzard warnings were in effect in parts of Oregon and Washington.
The New Mexico Department of Transportation said Monday morning that snow was already creating “hazardous driving conditions across the state,” and several weather observation stations reported wind gusts over 60 miles per hour.
Widespread coastal flooding is another possibility as the storm moves north and could affect the central Gulf Coast in the coming days.
The mid-Atlantic and New England received several inches of snow over the weekend, creating hazardous road conditions and causing widespread power outages for thousands of customers in multiple states.
Additional winter weather was set to pass through the Cascades in Oregon and Washington beginning Monday night and again on Tuesday evening, the NWS said.
The Washington Emergency Management Division urged motorists to avoid traveling through the mountain passes if possible, since it was rare for that area to receive a bad weather warning.
DES MOINES, Iowa — A sprawling storm hit the South with tornado warnings and high winds that blew roofs off homes, flipped over campers and tossed about furniture in Florida on Tuesday. The Midwest was blanketed in more than six feet of snow, stranding people on highways as it headed to the Northeast.
Near Cottonwood, Ala., a small city near the Georgia and Florida borders, 81-year-old Charlotte Paschal was killed when her mobile home was tossed from its foundation, the Houston County coroner said. A suspected tornado had touched down in the area.
Storm-related injuries were reported in Florida, but no deaths. A section of Panama City Beach has parts of roofs that are no longer standing, furniture strewn about, and a house leaning on another home.
In Panama City, about 10 miles away, police early Tuesday asked residents to stay indoors and off the roads “unless absolutely necessary” as officers checked on damage from the storms, including downed power lines and trees.
Three tornado survey teams are being sent out by the National Weather Service office inTallahassee. The teams will look for tornado damage in three Florida counties. Damage will be assessed in Houston County, Alabama and Calhoun County, Georgia.
The photos were posted by the department, and people were urged to stay home. The Walton County sheriff’s department in the Florida Panhandle posted photos of power lines draped across a road, damage to a gas station and large pieces of building materials littering the area. About 70 miles northeast, in Jackson County, photos showing damage to a campground and RV park in Marianna were posted.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who gave his State of the State address Tuesday as tornado warnings were active outside the Capitol, issued an executive order to include 49 counties in North Florida under a state of emergency from tornadoes.
“Except for this one, every government building is closed because of the weather inTallahassee,” said DeSantis at the start of the speech. When things happen in Florida, we respond. We’ll handle whatever fallout is from these dangerous tornadoes.”
The air traffic at Atlanta’s busy airport stopped for a while on Tuesday morning because of flooding caused by heavy rain across Georgia. More than 80 public school systems across Georgia called off classes entirely while others taught students online or delayed the start of in-person classes.
A Sprawling Storm in the U.S.spawns High Winds in the South and Snow in the Midwest: A Minnesota Highway Patrol Reports a Death and Two Critical Injuries
A person died and two were in a critical condition after a suspected tornado hit a mobile home park in the town of Claremont north of Charlotte, according to a spokeswoman for the county. The county has also been dealing with downed trees and flooding.
Before the storm hit, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency so there would not be weight or size limits on large trucks with emergency supplies or agricultural goods. Some schools were canceled or shut down early.
In Des Moines, Iowa, Laura Burianov had nearly finished shoveling her driveway Tuesday morning. But with snow still falling, she acknowledged she likely would have to shovel again later in the day.
There is still more than 6 inches of snow on his street in Desmoset, even though the plow hadn’t come through. He had been trying to clear his driveway and sidewalk.
The sheriff of Jefferson County said poor road conditions caused a fatal crash on Tuesday in southeastern Wisconsin. A person died following a head-on collision between an SUV and a semitrailer on state Highway 18. The driver of the truck was not hurt. The drivers were the lone occupants of the vehicles.
sheriff’s captain Travis Maze said in a telephone interview that layers of slush and snow covered the center and fog lines on the highway. Light snow was falling with winds up to 26 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
It was the first major winter storm of the season for the Kansas City metro area in Kansas and Missouri, where the National Weather Service predicted 6 inches of snow by the time the storm moved on later Tuesday.
In parts of Arizona, a cold front brought below-freezing temperatures early Tuesday, with the National Weather Service reporting a minus-17 reading at the Snow Bowl in northern Arizona. In northeastern New Mexico, the state Department of Transportation said snow plows spent hours Monday afternoon clearing U.S. Highway 56 to free more than 25 stranded vehicles.
Source: A sprawling storm in the U.S. spawns high winds in the South and snow in the Midwest
New York City Mayor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency and triggered high winds in the U.S. spawns snow in the Midwest
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy already declared a state of emergency as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, ahead of what’s expected to be heavy rain and wind that will exacerbate the effects of bad weather conditions since December.
In New York, city officials began evacuating nearly 2,000 migrants who had been housed at a sprawling white tent complex at a former airport located in a remote corner of Brooklyn. An aide to New York City Mayor Eric showed a wind speed of more than 70 mph.
The state police said that an empty tractor trailer blew over on the Thruway in western New York, temporarily blocking all traffic in the area. The state banned empty trucks and trailers.
National Grid in Massachusetts said that they had prepared for the possibility of wind gusts and heavy rains and had additional crews and personnel ready to respond to any power failures.
The storms remained a threat across the country, according to the White House press secretary. She encouraged all Americans to do the same and to closely monitor the weather.
In Iowa, the snow is expected to be followed by frigid temperatures which can cause problems for caucus goers.
Sarah Huckabee, the daughter of the former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, was scheduled to speak on Trump’s behalf on Monday.
Source: A sprawling storm in the U.S. spawns high winds in the South and snow in the Midwest
Collision of Interstate 70 and Interstate 80 in Nebraska and Kansas, and Snow in Chicago, Indiana, and Gary, Ind., Over the Cold War on Oct. 27, 2009
Whiteout conditions in central Nebraska closed a long stretch of Interstate 80, while Kansas closed Interstate 70 from the central city of Russell all the way west to the Colorado border due to dangerous travel conditions. Several vehicles slid off I-70 in the northeastern part of the state, authorities said.
Northwestern Illinois was also under a winter storm warning with forecasts calling for 7 to 12 inches of snow by early Wednesday. The Chicago area and Gary, Ind., are under winter storm advisories with forecasts that call for up to 6 inches of snow.
The US’ midsection was under a blizzard warning for the first time this season, with up to 6 inches of snow expected in some areas. A blizzard warning was also issued for parts of Texas and Oklahoma, as well as for parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho and Nevada. As much as 10 inches of snow had been reported in the Chicago area.