Winter storm: 200K Californians without power, Minnesota and other Midwest states pummeled by snow
The coast-to-coast winter storm has already begun to affect millions of Americans with high winds that have left nearly 200,000 Californians without power and heavy snow and rain battering residents from coast to coast.
As of Tuesday night, more than 60 million people in nearly 30 states were under winter weather watches or warnings, mostly in northern and eastern states that are scheduled to be hit with inches of rain, snow, ice, and Flash floods.
Heavy snowfall in Minnesota stopped drivers on the roads, while blizzard conditions to the west in Montana dropped nearly three feet of precipitation in a matter of hours.
On the west coast, a climate scientist saying most California residents will be able to see snow from the storm in what he described as a “very unusual event” that has also brought winds of up to 80 miles per hour.
“Almost everyone who lives in California will probably be able to see snow, at least on nearby hills, and in most cases on very close hills, probably by Friday morning,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the UCLA.
As of Tuesday night, more than 60 million people in nearly 30 states were under winter weather watches or warnings, mostly in the northern and eastern states.
Snow begins to fall around the Cathedral of Saint Paul, Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota
Utah Department of Transportation officials asked citizens to consider staying off the roads Wednesday due to heavy snowfall.
The 2,000-mile-wide storm is expected to make travel impossible in some areas, particularly the Minnesota regions and cities along the Rocky Mountains.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard, and high wind advisories for a wide swath of the western and north-central United States.
Up to two feet of snow and winds of up to 60 miles per hour were expected in some locations Tuesday through Thursday.
Snow is falling at a rate of 2 inches per hour and gusty winds will make travel conditions treacherous and perhaps impossible in parts of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest, the service said in its forecast.
“Snowplow crews will be working across the state, but this storm could be terrible,” the Minnesota Department of Transportation said in a tweet.
According to meteorologists, the extreme weather is the result of winter fronts that draw in cold air from the north.
As of Tuesday afternoon, about a foot of snow had already fallen in northern Minnesota, with some experts predicting that Minneapolis could be under a blizzard warning.
A monster winter storm took aim at the Upper Midwest on Tuesday, threatening to bring blizzard conditions and freezing temperatures to several states.
Vehicles drive in downtown Minneapolis as snow falls, Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Rush hour traffic travels southbound on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis as a winter storm hits
The 2,000-mile-wide storm is expected to make travel impossible in some areas, particularly the Minnesota regions and cities along the Rocky Mountains.
Vehicles pass a sign reading “WINTER STORM WARNING BEGINS AT 3PM” along Interstate 35 near the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport
According to federal forecasters, cities in the eye of the storm could experience treacherous traffic conditions, blackouts, power outages and ice buildup.
Cities most likely to experience the brunt of the storm include Chicago; Detroit; Hartford, Connecticut; DesMoines, Iowa; Madison, Wisconsin; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Buffalo and Albany, New York.
In states further north like Montana, temperatures are expected to drop below -15F.
The temperatures add to snow that has already affected the northern Rocky Mountain and High Plains states, which include Montana and North and South Dakota.
Severe weather is expected to affect the central states as well.
Some eight million people from Missouri to Oklahoma to Texas are facing storms, and forecasters are warning of hail, high winds and even tornadoes.
Oklahoma City and Tulsa will be the cities most at risk for damaging winds from very fast storms.
In northern Utah, several school districts chose to cancel school Wednesday as the state was already experiencing large amounts of snow.
“We are here preparing and asking you to stay safe and consider staying off the roads Wednesday morning,” the Utah Department of Transportation tweeted Tuesday.
Pedestrians stand as snow falls around them before a winter storm Tuesday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A man removes snow from his vehicle in downtown Bismarck, North Dakota, on Tuesday.
A group carries gear to the Gold Basin yurt in the La Sal Mountains. Ski touring near Moab, Utah
Farther west, Californians began seeing high wind and rainy conditions Monday night and throughout the day Tuesday.
A total of three fronts began moving into the state along with the possibility of snow in the northern and southern parts of the Golden State.
Mountain peaks in Los Angeles County could see up to four inches of snow and traffic disruptions should be anticipated along the Grapevine, forecasters warned.
The snow is so unprecedented that a National Weather Service meteorologist described the situation as historic.
“It’s pretty remarkable to see something like this in Southern California,” said NWS Senior Meteorologist Alex Tardy. saying.
As much of the country deals with rain, snow and strong gusts of wind, millions of Americans in the Southeast are experiencing record high temperatures.
As much of the country deals with rain, snow and strong gusts of wind, millions of Americans in the Southeast are experiencing record high temperatures.
Florida is expected to break several heat records on Thursday, with forecasters forecasting temperatures in excess of 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the Sunshine State reaches 91 degrees, the record for February’s hottest temperature, previously set at 90 degrees in 1962, would be officially broken.
The heat is caused by a high pressure front that will dramatically warm Florida and parts of the Southeast.