A severe winter storm hit the western U.S. bringing hazardous travel conditions, dangerously lowering temperatures and threatened crops as far south as California.
Meteorologists say the jet stream has moved significantly further south than normal bringing arctic temperatures into the northwest. AccuWeather reported that temperatures could fall as much as 40 degrees below normal this weekend and a second winter blast could follow in a few days.
Areas of Montana saw temperature forecasts as low as the minus-20s. Officials say that when temperatures reach that low, even a little breeze can cause enough wind chill to be dangerous.
The storm also dumped heavy snow across the northwest part of the country including up to 2 feet in the Rocky Mountains. Ice and snow created dangerous driving conditions and contributed to a four car crash in Montana that killed a 21-year-old woman.
The system is pushing so far south that forecasters say Texans currently experiencing 80 degree days will see lower 40s by Thursday.
The National Weather Service is reporting an estimated EF-4 tornado struck the town of Wayne, Nebraska late Saturday afternoon causing significant damage.
Mayor Ken Chamberlain said there were multiple injuries but thankfully no one appears to have been killed by the surprise storm.
The storm reportedly produced multiple tornadoes that struck mainly in the industrial section of the city. Chamberlain told CNN that about a dozen houses were destroyed by the big tornado. Cars were flipped throughout the area and many motorists found themselves trapped but the only major emergency appeared to be a broken gas line.
“Hazmat is on the scene working with the gas leak,” state emergency management spokeswoman Jodie Fawl said.
Providence Medical Center in Wayne said that at least 15 people have been brought in with storm-related injuries.
In Rapid City, South Dakota, a freak winter storm has taken out power to over 30,000 residents. Rapid City police issued a “no travel” advisory for the city. They also said that slush on the roads is “causing vehicles to hydroplane.”
Wyoming Highway Patrol spokesman said a winter storm has shut down almost all of Interstate 25 through the state. A section of Interstate 80 was also closed unless vehicles have chains on the tires.
A weekend storm brought parts of northern New York to a standstill.
A ski mountain near the Vermont border received over three feet of snow that caused the shutdown of the Veteran’s Memorial Highway on Whiteface Mountain. Continue reading →
England is facing a double whammy of flooding and heavy snowfall that is disrupting travel and electrical services.
BBC forecasters say that up to 16 inches of snow could fall across the country along with gale force winds. The heavy snow could continue through the entire weekend complicating rescue efforts in flooded parts of the nation. Continue reading →
Large parts of the upper Midwest are without power as a massive snowstorm dumps up to a foot of snow in some areas. The storm seems to not be weakening as it bears down on the east coast, putting cities like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. in danger of outages.
Heavy, wet snow knocked out power across parts of Indiana that reported a significant increase in car accidents in places that received as little as two inches of the thick snow. Tippecanoe County, Indiana reported 25 accidents in the first 5 hours of the storm Tuesday. Continue reading →
An unusual April snowstorm covered parts of the northeastern US with as much as 16 inches of snow. Weather forecasters are reporting that the storm could bring record snowfall for many communities.
The snow is described as “heavy and wet” which is causing cities to prepare for power outages and downed tress. A member of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Public Works department told KDKA-TV that they have a forestry division on standby for tree problems and issues. Continue reading →
