March 23, 2016 - COLORADO, UNITED STATES - Heavy snow pounded the Denver metro area on Wednesday, grinding air
traffic to a halt as a springtime blizzard wreaked havoc on the cityjust a day after temperatures reached 70 degrees.
Denver International Airport halted all air traffic shortly after noon
as a result of the conditions. There was no estimated time for flights
to resume.
Hundreds of flights at Denver International Airport were canceled or
delayed, in part due to gusting winds that also created blizzard
conditions on the state's eastern Plains.
Several interstates and major roadways in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska were closed.
Across the Denver metro area, schools and government offices closed and
power flickered as the heavy, wet snow rapidly accumulated. More than
80,000 customers are without power from Denver to Fort Collins,
AccuWeather said.
Blizzard warnings are in effect for much of eastern Colorado, including
the Denver area, as well as small portions of Wyoming, Nebraska and
Kansas.
The mess is the result of a sprawling spring storm that's
dumping heavy snow on the north-central U.S. and could deliver severe
weather and drenching thunderstorms later in the day in the waterlogged
South.
Earlier Wednesday, hundreds of people at Denver International Airport
checked their smartphones, queued at airline ticket counters, or
wandered aimlessly, killing time. March is the snowiest month in Denver,
and many travelers seemed taken aback at the storm's ferocity, given
the mild winter Denver received recently.
"What are the odds?" laughed Peter Aukstolis of Denver. Aukstolis and
his new wife, Laura Hargadine, got married Sunday and were supposed to
be on a beach in Aruba by Wednesday evening. The two cuddled up on the
floor near a coffee shop and checked and re-checked their flights.
They're being rerouted through Philadelphia with an beach arrival
expected sometime Thursday.
"Will miss a day, but we're going for 10 days, and we are off for two weeks anyway," Aukstolis said.
About 21 inches of snow had fallen in 11 hours today in Louisville, Colo., near Boulder, reported Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson.
State transportation officials, in an unusual move, required all
vehicles driving on major highways around Denver use four-wheel-drive,
all-wheel-drive, chains or snow tires. Drivers reported gridlock around
the city as the morning commute began.
Many locations around Denver will see more than a foot of snow by Wednesday evening, KUSA-TV reported.
Parts of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes could pick up as much as 12 to 18 inches by the time the storm winds down Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm will impact thousands of miles of roadways, AccuWeather said.
Snow from the storm will also hit northern New York and northern New England by Thursday.
The Weather Channel has named the storm Selene.
Farther to the south, severe thunderstorms are forecast to fire up
Wednesday in the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley. The area at
greatest risk for severe weather ranges from northeast Texas to western
Illinois, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Damaging winds and large hail will be the main threats from any severe
storms that develop. Isolated tornadoes are also possible, according to
weather.com.
Heavy rain from the storms could lead to flash flooding over the waterlogged region.
Cities at risk for the violent thunderstorms later Wednesday include
Dallas and San Antonio, Texas; Fayetteville and Little Rock, Arkansas;
Springfield, Missouri; and Shreveport, Louisiana, AccuWeather predicts.
By Thursday, the threat area for severe weather will be mainly in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
March 19, 2016 - UNITED STATES - A dramatic swing in temperatures will bring both a taste of late spring
and then a blizzard to the central United States for the first week of
spring.
The upswing in temperatures will cause record highs to be challenged
during the first half of the new week, while the return of colder air
will set the stage for snow and blizzard conditions to sweep from the
northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest at midweek.
"As is expected in the spring, a volatile pattern is shaping up through
the new week across the central U.S.," AccuWeather Meteorologist Ed
Vallee said.
"After some chillier air this weekend, a dome of high pressure will
control the weather through midweek. This will usher in much warmer air
with some places experiencing high temperatures nearly 30-40 degrees
higher than this weekend."
Highs across most of the north-central states will trend from the 30s
and 40s on Saturday to the 60s and 70s early in the new week.
In the southern Plains, temperatures will swing from the 50s and lower
60s this weekend to the 70s and 80s. Some communities in the southern
High Plains will even flirt with or crack the 90-degree mark.
The warmth will erase the snow that recently whitened Denver and will
challenge record highs in Pueblo, Colorado; Dodge City, Kansas; Oklahoma
City; and Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas.
As quickly as the warmth makes a comeback, colder air will be advancing southward.
"A developing area of low pressure across the Plains will drag a
cold front through the central U.S. Wednesday and Thursday, stifling
the burst of warmth," Vallee said.
Along the northern fringe of the low, snow will emerge from the northern
Rockies and track to the Upper Midwest. While the snow should initially
melt, slippery travel will still unfold as the snow falls heavy enough
to overcome the strong March sun and road surfaces cool.
Gusty winds will also howl, threatening to create even more treacherous blizzard conditions.
Denver is among the communities that could see highs near 70 F fade to snow and highs in the 30s at midweek.
South of the snow, the strong winds will significantly heighten the fire danger across the southern High Plains.
"While likely not as chilly as this weekend, high temperatures to end
the week [in the south-central states] will likely be 10-20 degrees
lower than what they will be at midweek," Vallee said.
As is typical of spring, an end to the temperature roller coaster for the Plains should not come by the new weekend. - AccuWeather.
Tire tracks blaze the trail on an empty, snow-covered street in St. Louis, Mo., on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016. Winter weather warnings from the National Weather Service
stretched southwest through all of Illinois and into Missouri, where several inches of snow had fallen by early morning, leading to school closures and downing power lines.
(Cristina Fletes/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)
March 1, 2016 - UNITED STATES - Winter Storm Quo is welcoming the month of March with fresh snow, and
even some ice, from the Upper Midwest to northern New England.
Winter
storm warnings are in effect in parts of Lower Michigan, far upstate
New York and northern Maine, where the heaviest additional snow will
fall.
As of early Tuesday morning, snowfall totals have been less
than 6 inches from eastern South Dakota to Michigan. Luverne,
Minnesota, reported 5 inches of snow, while Kalamazoo, Michigan, picked
up 3 inches. A mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow fell in Chicago.
Current Radar
Winter weather alerts from the National Weather Service.
Winter
weather advisories stretch from parts of Iowa to central Massachusetts
to coastal Maine not only for lighter snowfall, but also for a potential
mix with sleet or freezing rain.
The warm side of Winter Storm Quo
will bring a threat of thunderstorms, some of which could be severe, to
parts of the South. For more on that story, click here.
Below is a look at the timing for Winter Storm Quo and the snowfall forecast.
Winter Storm Quo Timing
Low
pressure at the surface of the earth will organize along an arctic
frontal boundary while strengthening, as it sweeps from Missouri Tuesday
morning to northern New England Wednesday.
Moisture from the Gulf of
Mexico will be pumped in and over the cold air at the surface, wringing
out some snow and even, potentially, a little freezing rain or sleet
along the path of that low.
Winter Storm Quo does not appear to be
a major snowstorm with the potential to dump over a foot of snow over a
widespread area. That said, the combination of snow and ice will impact
travel in the Great Lakes and interior Northeast the next couple of
days.
Tuesday
Snow will taper off in
the Upper Mississippi Valley by midday, but continue Michigan and
develop in northern Indiana and northwest Ohio.
Increasing winds in the Great Lakes may lead to areas of blowing snow and reduced visibility.
Air and road travel will be affected in the region, with flight delays likely at Chicago O'Hare.
A
narrow zone of mixed precipitation, including some ice, may affect
parts of eastern Iowa, northern Illinois, northern Indiana, southern
Michigan and northern Ohio, leading to slippery travel conditions.
Forecast high temperatures and weather conditions for Tuesday, March 1, 2016.
Tuesday Night - Wednesday
Tuesday Night:
Accumulating snow and a wintry mix spreads across portions of western
and upstate New York into northern New England, including Vermont, New
Hampshire and Maine. Precipitation may start as sleet or freezing rain,
before changing to rain farther south in parts of Massachusetts. Rain
may change to snow in the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians. Snow also
continues in Lower Michigan, northern Ohio and parts of Indiana before
ending from west to east before sunrise.
Wednesday: Snow
and a wintry mix continue in parts of northern New England,
particularly in Maine, ending by evening. Snow may continue in the
Appalachians, western, central and upstate New York.
Forecast low temperatures and weather conditions for Tuesday night.
Forecast high temperatures and weather conditions for Wednesday.
Winter Storm Quo Snowfall Forecast
Snowfall Forecast: The
heaviest snowfall accumulations, in excess of 6 inches, are expected
across an east-west swath of Lower Michigan, far upstate New York in the
St. Lawrence Valley, and far northern Maine. Most other locations along
the path of Quo will generally see snowfall totals of 6 inches or less
from the Upper Mississippi Valley to northern New England.
Ice Accumulation Forecast:
Light ice accumulations are possible from northern Illinois to northern
New England. Though the amount of ice accumulation is expected to
remain low in most areas, we will still see slippery travel conditions,
particularly on bridges and overpasses. No widespread areas of tree limb
damage or power outages is expected.
Forecast snowfall through Wednesday from the early week storm.
A narrow strip from the Midwest to New England will see light icing.
February 26, 2016 - ANTARCTIC CIRCLE - A crew of 68 people remain stranded on board a polar research ship more
than a day after it broke from its moorings and ran aground near
Australia's oldest harbor in the Antarctic Circle.
The Aurora Australis, a 94-meter long ice-breaking ship, was
ripped from its anchoring as a raging blizzard hit Mawson Station, East
Antarctica, on Wednesday morning.
Efforts are being made to bring the crew back to base. However, the blizzard conditions are hampering the operation.
WATCH: Footage of icebreaker as storm moves in.
Footage recorded from inside the stricken vessel shows strong gusts of ice and snow battering the upper deck.
The incident happened as 130mph winds were recorded in the area.
While the ship remains trapped in the Horseshoe Harbour, authorities
say there is no immediate danger of oil seeping into the ocean.
"Sixty-eight expeditioners and crew remain on board the Aurora Australis, which remains aground... All continue to be safe and well," a government statement said Thursday.
The spokesperson for the Australian Antarctic Division added that a
breach in the ship's hull has been discovered "in an area of the ship
that poses no risk to the stability of the vessel or of fuel leaking
into the environment".
"The crew continue to monitor the hull," they added.
The ship is capable of remaining at sea for approximately 90 days and
has an average speed of 30kph. It's reinforced bow is designed to cut
through pack ice up to 1.2-meters thick, which is quite rudimentary when compared with larger icebreakers.
The Aurora Australis had been carrying out marine science close
to the Kerguelen Plateau region when it stopped to restock supplies at
Mawson Station.
P&O Maritime Services are the registered owners of the vessel, which
has been used to transport cargo and expedition teams to the Australian
government's bases on the icy continent.
The company has said it could take up to three days to assess the full damage. - RT.
February 3, 2016 - UNITED STATES -
Despite snow tapering off across the Upper Midwest, strong winds will
continue to produce blizzard conditions through Wednesday morning. The
heaviest snow occurred from south-central Nebraska into northwest Iowa
with totals over a foot.
The combination of strong winds and/or snow will continue to disrupt
travel on major highways including interstates 29, 35, 40, 70, 80, 90
and 94. Some major and many secondary roads have closed.
Air travel will
also be a major problem throughout the region during the early part of
Wednesday.
Meanwhile, thunderstorms became severe over the lower Mississippi
Valley later Tuesday into Tuesday night. The threat for damaging winds,
hail and perhaps an isolated tornado will focus on the Southeast on
Wednesday.
4:25 a.m. CST Wednesday:
An apartment complex is being evacuated due to flood waters in Fort
Oglethorpe, Georgia, near the Tennessee state line, Catoosa County
Emergency Management Agency reports. 4:14 a.m. CST Wednesday: Storm damage reported in Cookeville, Tennessee.
3:47 a.m. CST Wednesday: Numerous roads are flooded in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, according to the county's 911 call center.
3:33 a.m. CST Wednesday: More than 160 flights, mostly at Minneapolis airport, are canceled so far Wednesday, FlightStats reports.
3:23 a.m. CST Wednesday: Thunderstorms with possible
damaging winds, flooding rains are moving through Tennessee and
Mississippi valleys, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.
3:09 a.m. CST Wednesday: I-80 near Shelby, and I-35 near Williams, are blocked due to jackknifed tractor-trailers, IowaDOT reports. 3:00 a.m. CST Wednesday: More than 10,000 Alabama Power customers are without power as a result of the storms.
Alabama Power outages statewide
Birmingham: 5,900
Western Division: 4,600
Eastern Division: 690#alwx
2:38 a.m. CST Wednesday: As of 1 a.m. CST Wednesday, Jackson, Mississippi, received 5.14 inches of rain.
2:33 a.m. CST Wednesday: Iowa DOT snow plow works on Iowa Route 376 near Dakota City.
2:20 a.m. CST Wednesday: 8.2 inches of snow has fallen 5 miles north of Earlham, an NWS-trained spotter reported. 1:51 a.m. CST Wednesday: Numerous roads remain
closed due to whiteout conditions in southwestern Minnesota, the
Minnesota Department of Transportation reported.
1:33 a.m. CST Wednesday: Denver Public Schools are on a 1-hour delay for the second straight day. 1:31 a.m. CST Wednesday: Heavy rain falling in Vestavia, Alabama.
1:23 a.m. CST Wednesday: Mason City, Iowa, broke its Feb. 2 snowfall record with 10.0 inches; old record was 6.3 inches, set in 2004. 1:03 a.m. CST Wednesday: Tuesday's snowfall in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was a record-breaker for the day.
The 12.4 inches of #snow in Sioux City on Groundhog Day also ties for 7th highest single day snowfall on record! pic.twitter.com/l10f8JgQLw
12:39 a.m. CST Wednesday: Line of storms that moved through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is now moving toward Birmingham. 12:33 a.m. CST Wednesday: Alpena, Michigan, broke its Feb. 2 snowfall record with 6.3 inches; old record was 4.3 inches, set in 1930. 12:26 a.m. CST Wednesday: Power outages starting around Huntsville, Alabama. 12:19 a.m. CST Wednesday: About 9 inches of snow has fallen so far in Minneapolis. 12:07 a.m. CST Wednesday: Flash flooding occurring in Sulligent, Alabama, fire officials reported. 12:02 a.m. CST Wednesday: Line of storms will move into Tuscaloosa, Alabama, within the next 30 minutes, AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.
11:54 p.m. CST Tuesday:
Flight delays of more than six-and-a-half hours are reported at
Minneapolis-St Paul International/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Minneapolis,
the FAA said. 11:45 p.m. CST Tuesday: 7.8 inches of snow has fallen at Gile, Wisconsin, an NWS-trained spotter reported. 11:42 p.m. CST Tuesday: Minneapolis police investigate a fatal vehicle-pedestrian accident on a snow-covered street late Tuesday afternoon.
11:30 p.m. CST Tuesday: Muskegon, Michigan, broke its Feb. 2 rainfall record with 1.25 inches; old record was 0.57 inches, set in 1968. 11:17 p.m. CST Tuesday: Radar-confirmed tornado on the ground near Reform, Alabama, the National Weather Service at Birmingham said. 10:55 p.m. CST Tuesday First Baptist Church in Collinsville, Mississippi, was severely damaged after a tornado hit the community on Tuesday afternoon.
First Baptist Church Collinsville, Youth Pastor says they'll have church again "God is not confined to a building" pic.twitter.com/vcEcMhGHFm
10:47 p.m. CST Tuesday: 18.3-inch storm total in
Grand Island, Nebraska, is the second-highest two-day snowfall total on
record, and 15.7 inches in Hastings, Nebraska, is the fourth-highest
two-day total on record. 10:41 p.m. CST Tuesday: Thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado is located east of Marion, Alabama. 10:38 p.m. CST Tuesday: Road closures continue in south-central Minnesota. 10:33 p.m. CST Tuesday: Snow emergency issued in Minneapolis. 10:31 p.m. CST Tuesday: About 8 inches of snow has fallen near Maple Grove, Minnesota.
10:16 p.m. CST Tuesday:
Storms caused damage in five Mississippi counties, the Mississippi
Emergency Management Agency reported. Damage included homes and East
Central Community College in Kemper County; homes and West Lauderdale
High School in the Collinsville area of Lauderdale County; and Reed
Elementary School in the Shuqualak area of Noxubee County. 10:10 p.m. CST Tuesday: Snowy travel on I-35E at Roselawn Avenue, Minneapolis, according to Minnesota DOT webcam. 10:02 p.m. CST Tuesday: About 75 people left homeless in Aliceville, Alabama, after reported tornado, the Alabama Red Cross said. 9:50 p.m. CST Tuesday: Snowy conditions on U.S. Route 31 at Charlevoix, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, according to Michigan DOT webcam. 9:47 p.m. CST Tuesday: Poor visibility in Aurora, Nebraska, emergency management reported.
9:44 p.m. CST Tuesday: White-out conditions force plow crews to regroup in Iowa until Wednesday morning, the Iowa DOT said. 9:34 p.m. CST Tuesday: The GOES-East satellite captured the storm front that brought a tornado near Carrolton, Alabama, late Tuesday afternoon.
9:23 p.m. CST Tuesday: Tornado near Beaverton, Alabama, according to Lamar County emergency management. 9:18 p.m. CST Tuesday: More storm damage reported in western Alabama.
8:22 p.m. CST Tuesday: Storm chaser Mike Scantlin captured footage of a massive wedge tornado near McMullen, Alabama, earlier today.
WATCH: Large Wedge Tornado in Aliceville, Pickens County, Alabama.
7:59 p.m. CST Tuesday: Significant damage reported in the town of Aliceville, Alabama. 7:38 p.m. CST Tuesday: Flash flooding reported in Philadelphia, Mississippi. 7:16 p.m. CST Tuesday: Some roads remain snow covered in Kansas, while others are beginning to reopen. 6:57 p.m. CST Tuesday: Blizzard conditions are still ongoing in parts of Nebraska:
Highway 81 near Columbus. Blizzard still in progress. Extremely difficult travel with near zero visibility. #newxpic.twitter.com/oJNs0cqhYZ
according to FlightStats. At Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, nearly 270 flights have been canceled. 6:23 p.m. CST Tuesday: So far today, there have been seven reports of tornadoes according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. 6:18 p.m. CST Tuesday: An emergency manager reports
damage to a roof of a house and store along Highway 145 on the north
side of Shuqualak, Mississippi. 6:12 p.m. CST Tuesday: A look at the road conditions across Wisconsin as snow continues to move through the Upper Midwest:
5:54 p.m. CST Tuesday: The baseball field at East Mississippi was also damaged as a result of the severe storms. 5:33 p.m. CST Tuesday: Damage was reported in Collinsville, Mississippi, around 3:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
5:25 p.m. CST Tuesday: Through 4:30 p.m. local time, there were 287 crashes and 28 injuries in Minnesota today. 5:11 p.m. CST Tuesday:This photo indicates a tornado on the ground near Dancy, Alabama, earlier this evening. 4:56 p.m. CST Tuesday: A confirmed tornado on the ground near Carrollton, Alabama. A tornado emergency has been declared. 4:45 p.m. CST Tuesday: Possible tornado damage reported at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, Mississippi.
4:40 p.m. CST Tuesday: Deep snowdrifts near Pierce, Nebraska. 4:28 p.m. CST Tuesday: Thick storm clouds near the NWS office in Memphis. 4:26 p.m. CST Tuesday: The snow is causing travel delays throughout southeast South Dakota. 4:19 p.m. CST Tuesday: A confirmed tornado was on the ground 5 miles northwest of Electric Mills, Mississippi, an NWS trained spotter reports. 4:04 p.m. CST Tuesday: Limited visibility in Grand Island, Nebraska. 3:45 p.m. CST Tuesday:
Emergency manager reports tornado damage in the town of Collinsville,
Mississippi. First Baptist Church, located in town, was heavily damaged.
There were also reports of barns damaged and trees down across roads. 3:39 p.m. CST Tuesday: Whiteout conditions reported in Hays, Kansas.
More snow & strong winds are creating #whiteout conditions in the Hays area. Please stay home! *47 if you need help. pic.twitter.com/oQ93ujHRH1
3:21 p.m. CST Tuesday:
The Nebraska Department of Roads had to pull snowplows off of the state
highways in District Three due to extremely low visibility. Blowing and
drifting snow is making the roads impassable. For an update on the
highways across the state, click here. 3:03 p.m. CST Tuesday: A car was buried in snow in Boone County, Iowa, earlier this afternoon.
(Photo/Twitter user @MVEofficerDave)
2:09 p.m. CST Tuesday: Reed Timmer is broadcasting live from North Sioux City, South Dakota. 2:00 p.m. CST Tuesday: A look at some of the highest snowfall totals by state:
1:41 p.m. CST Tuesday: Motorists are encouraged to avoid travel in much of northern Iowa. 1:23 p.m. CST Tuesday: Road closures are anticipated across southern Minnesota due to the snow. 12:26 p.m. CST Tuesday: Heavy snow has moved into the southern Twin Cities area in Minnesota:
Heavy snow has moved into the southern Twin Cities metro area. Here is a photo from I-35 in Lakeville at 12:06 PM: pic.twitter.com/lhOJUULexX
12:17 p.m. CST Tuesday:
Storms will continue to intensify east of the Mississippi River today,
potentially bringing a tornado, AccuWeather Meteorologist Logan Poole
said.
"A band of strong-to-severe storms will develop in south-central
Mississippi early this afternoon and progress northward through the
evening," he said. "The storms will be isolated in nature and pose an
enhanced risk of producing tornadoes." 12:14 p.m. CST Tuesday: University of West Alabama will close at 2 p.m. CST in advance of severe weather. 11:52 a.m. CST Tuedsday:
Inbound flights to Denver International Airport and Minneapolis-St.
Paul International Airport are facing more than 60-minute delays due to
snow and ice, the FAA reports. 10:50 a.m. CST Tuesday: Nearly 7,000 Alliant Energy customers are without power in eastern Iowa, the utility reports. 10:48 a.m. CST Tuesday: More than 120 flights have been canceled at Denver International Airport so far amid wintry weather, according to FlightStats. 10:33 a.m. CST Tuesday: Conditions are becoming increasingly hazardous across parts of Iowa as snow falls:
Mitchell Co., IA has pulled their snow plows as heavy snow continues to fall. Travel not advised. #iawxpic.twitter.com/iXYCemi8B9
10:16 a.m. CST Tuesday:
Emergency management in Emmet County, Iowa, reports visibility is less
than a quarter of a mile due to strong winds and heavy snow. Travel is
not advised in the county, they said. 10:08 a.m. CST Tuesday: Snow continues to pile up in Lincoln, Nebraska:
(Twitter Photo/@LadyGolfer)
(Facebook Photo/Cindy L Condreay)
10:04 a.m. CST Tuesday: Snow is blanketing Ogallala, Nebraska:
January 24, 2016 - UNITED STATES - The Huge snowstorm, ‘Jonas’, which hit and paralyzed the US East
Coast has moved away, leaving at least 19 people dead.
A travel ban has
already been lifted for New York, but not for Washington – and 700
flights are not expected to take off on Monday.
The deadly blizzard killed at least 19 people, according to officials. Most of them – 13 – died in car crashes in Arkansas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. In Virginia, two more died of hypothermia.
One person also died in Maryland.
In New York City three people also died while shoveling snow, CBS News reported, citing police.
The all-time record was registered in Baltimore, Maryland, with 29.2 inches (about 74 centimeters) of snow, as well as in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with 28.6 inches (about 71 centimeters) of snow, according to the Weather Channel.
The biggest amount of snow was registered at Glengary, West Virginia – 40 inches (101.6 centimeters).
“This is kind of a Top 10 snowstorm,” weather service winter storm expert Paul Kocin told CBC.
The US East Coast is to return back to normal life. New York has already lifted a travel ban imposed on Saturday while Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked residents to remain off the road in order not to disturb crews clearing the streets.
WATCH: YouTuber snowboards through NYC.
Airports around Washington DC are likely to remain closed on Sunday. Moreover, around 700 Monday flights have already been canceled – in addition to about 7,000 cancellations at the weekend.
The snowstorm struck the US on Friday evening causing transport chaos, heavy coastal floods in New Jersey and Delaware as well as strong winds 120 kilometers pro hour – a wind speed registered in at Dewey Beach, Delaware, and Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, AP reports citing weather services.
The storm turned always busy New York and Washington DC into ghost cities with empty streets.According to weather forecasts, snowstorm Jonas, which urged 11 US states to declare emergency, is to cross the Atlantic Ocean and to hit Great Britain on Tuesday causing heavy rains. Warnings have already been issued for most of Wales, north-west England, and south and west Scotland, Sky News reports. - RT.
January 23, 2016 - UNITED STATES - A huge snowstorm has struck the US East Coast, causing heavy
floods and paralyzing cities with a record amount of snow. Governors of
ten states have declared a state of emergency, with New York being among
the latest. At least 14 deaths have been reported.
Snowstorm ‘Jonas’ caused
six meter waves, as well as hurricane-force winds with speeds of up to
120 kilometers per hour in the town of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. Town
beaches have overflowed. Water in Lewes – another Delaware city – rose
to its second-highest record level, beating that witnessed during
Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
A number of cities in neighboring New Jersey suffered from severe floods: The streets of Atlantic City, Sea Isle, North Wildwood and Cape May were submerged.
North Wildwood says flooding crests at 9.4 feet, topping Hurricane Sandy. Here near Marina Bay Towers. #sjjonaspic.twitter.com/4f4cGgs8vp
Both Delaware and New Jersey’s governors as well as the heads of eight more states including Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia declared a state of emergency.
The suite was followed Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who declared a state of emergency for New York City as well as Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange and Putnam Counties.
The huge snowstorm, jokingly dubbed ‘Snowzilla’, paralyzed cities of the US East Coast with up to 30 inches (about 72 centimeter) of snow – the level registered in Terra Alta, West Virginia, USA Today reported.
WATCH: Huge snowstorm hits Washington D.C.
In Washington DC, the federal government closed its offices and the underground system has been suspended, CBS News reports.
“We need the public to listen, is to stay home and to stay off of the streets.
That includes people who are attempting to drive, but that also includes people who are walking,” Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said as cited by WAMU radio’s website.
In New Jersey 40,000 people suffered power cuts on Saturday according to CBS News.
The snowstorm also caused transport chaos across the East Coast states. Almost 1,000 car crashes were reported by Virginia police by late Friday. 14 people died in accidents across the country because of the storm. One more death – because of a heart attack – is reported in DC region.
WATCH: Heavy snowfall hits Arlington, D.C.
New York authorities are going to introduce a travel ban in the city, ABC News reports.
About 8,300 flights were canceled Friday and Saturday, as well as sporting events and band concerts, according to the USA Today.
People, however, do not fall into despair, sharing in the social networks with unusual photos and videos with streets full of snow, football stadiums covered with snow and even pandas playing in the snow.
Michael Rainey got his face full of snow after tubing down the hill along Broad Street in Bristol, Tennessee.
(Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier via AP)
January 23, 2016 - UNITED STATES - Tens of millions of residents from Georgia to New Jersey have
embraced the stern warnings and forecasted snow falls and have hunkered
down as the brunt of the blizzard could dump 2 feet or more of snow in
some areas.
Though snow started to fall in some areas on Friday, the worst of the mammoth storm was still yet to come, with strong winds and heavy snow expected to produce “life-threatening blizzard conditions” throughout the day Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. The Mid-Atlantic could potentially see serious coastal flooding while the Carolinas might see a half-inch of ice accumulate.
At least nine people have already died because of storm-related incidents across several states. Five deaths were reported in North Carolina. Four motorists died in car accidents when broached with treacherous traveling conditions. A child was killed in a separate accident along Interstate 77. State Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker said the 4-year-old was restrained in a car seat and died as a result of the impact in a pickup truck one of his family members was driving.
WATCH: Residents across East Coast hunker down as mammoth blizzard ramps up.
In Tennessee, a car slid off the roadway due to speed and slick road conditions, killing the driver and injuring a passenger, the Knox County sheriff’s department said. A woman was killed after the vehicle carrying her and her husband slid down a 300-foot embankment Wednesday night, Carter County Sheriff Dexter Lunceford. The woman’s husband was able to climb the embankment and call for help.
A man died in Kentucky Thursday after his car collided with a salt truck, state police said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene on state Route 92 in Whitley Country. A Virginia man died Friday after his car went off the snowy George Washington highway and slammed into a tree, Officer Leo Kosinski said.
As the storm started to pull out of the Midwest, it had already dumped up to 18 inches of snow in parts of Kentucky. The National Weather Service said at least 7 inches had already fallen in Washington, D.C., up to 13.5 inches in Maryland and reports of 15 inches in Virginia.
Other states that recorded snowfall amounts greater than 6 inches included Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. Various locations in Georgia and Alabama received between 1 and 3.5 inches of snow.
Washington, D.C. could see up to two feet of snow once the storm moves out to sea. New York City itself could see up to a foot of snow or more.
By late Friday, Virginia State Police had reported 989 car crashes statewide since the storm started, and had assisted nearly 800 disabled vehicles, said Ken Schrad, a spokesman for the Virginia State Police Joint Information Center.
In Kentucky, Mike Edmonds was stuck at a truck stop Friday as snow piled up around him, not daring to venture his big rig out of the slick parking lot and onto an interstate strewn with wrecked vehicles.
"We've got trucks here that literally cannot get out," Edmonds told the Associated Press. "We're spinning. It's not worth even getting out on the road."
Forecasters warned that much of the blizzard is still on its way. The heavier snow and wind gusts are expected to create blinding whiteout conditions once the storm joins up with a low pressure system off the coast, said Bruce Sullivan, a forecaster at the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.
By Friday evening, wet, heavy snow was falling in the capital, making downed power lines more likely, and yet many people remained on the roads, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said. "Find a safe place and stay there," she beseeched.
"They're slipping and sliding all over the place," said Kentucky State Police Trooper Lloyd Cochran — as soon as one wreck was cleared, other cars slammed into each other, causing gridlock for hours on interstate highways.
Conditions quickly became treacherous all along the path of the storm. Arkansas and Tennessee got 8 inches; Kentucky got more than a foot, and states across the Deep South grappled with icy, snow-covered roads and power outages. Two tornadoes arrived along with the snow in Mississippi.
The storm could easily cause more than $1 billion in damage, weather service director Louis Uccellini said.
Even before the snow began to fall Friday afternoon, states of emergency were declared, lawmakers went home, and schools, government offices and transit systems closed early from as far south as Georgia to as far north as New York City.
In Washington, the federal government closed its offices at noon, and all mass transit was shutting down through Sunday. President Barack Obama, hunkering down at the White House, was one of many who stayed home.
"Find a safe
place and stay there," Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser implored residents and visitors alike.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency Friday as forecasters predict up to 2 feet of snow in some parts of the state. Coastal flooding is also a major concern for beaches from Delaware up to Long Island. Christie urged motorists to stay off roadways in light of the storm.
Broadway's shows were still going on in New York, but as snow fell in Atlanta, people there were urged to stay home all weekend, rather than risk a repeat of the city's 2014 "icepocalypse," when a relatively mild winter storm caused days of commuter chaos.
More than 82 million Americans are expected to see at least one inch of snow in this storm. Around 47 million will see more than 6 inches, and 22 million will get more than a foot, Ryan Maue at WeatherBell Analytics said Friday.
About 7,600 flights were canceled Friday and Saturday — about 15 percent of the airlines' schedules, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware. They hope to be fully back in business by Sunday afternoon. - FOX News | CNN.
Water vapor view of storm after 10a Friday, Jan. 22 (NASA)
January 22, 2016 - UNITED STATES - A massive snowstorm that has already turned
deadly churned up the East Coast on Friday afternoon, forecast to
transform into an angry blizzard that could bury the nation's capital
under more than 2 feet of snow.
The weekend whiteout has led to more than 6,000 canceled flights and caused at least seven deaths.
The sprawling storm will blast snow across 15 states beginning Friday afternoon and evening and continuing well into Sunday, forecasters say. That has prompted rare blizzard warnings not only for Washington, D.C., but also Baltimore, New York City, Philadelphia, Trenton, New Jersey, and Long Island, New York.
"We see this as a major storm. It has life and death implications. And all the residents of the District of Columbia should treat it that way," Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
WATCH: Major snowstorm is predicted to impact 20 states, East Coast is bracing.
The main priority, Bowser said, was to keep people safe, from students to commuters to the homeless. Public schools were closed Friday, the Metro will stop operating at 11 p.m. and outreach workers will try to find shelter for people who would otherwise sleep outside. Federal government workers have been told to leave work at noon Friday, just before the front edge of the blizzard is expected to arrive.
The storm has killed at least seven people, including three in North Carolina who died in traffic accidents on icy roads.
WATCH: Ice and Snow Hit Nashville Making Driving Hazardous.
North Carolina Highway Patrol reported 928 crashes from midnight Thursday to 1 p.m. Friday. More than 9,000 people were without power in the state as of 2 p.m. Friday, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety said.
Where there weren't blizzard warnings, there were fears of other dangerous conditions. Various winter weather warnings, watches and advisories were in effect in more than 20 states, from New York to South Carolina to Kansas, the Weather Channel reported. That covers more than 85 million people — more than a quarter of the U.S. population.
The National Weather Service warned of "extremely dangerous travel" conditions and "numerous power outages" across the region. More than 2,500 flights had been canceled as of Friday morning, with thousands likely to follow.
Maximum snowfall could top 30 inches by Sunday evening in large parts of the Mid-Atlantic. National Weather Service
That includes Philadelphia International Airport, which preemptively canceled all Saturday flights in anticipation of up to 18 inches of snow. American Airlines canceled all of its Friday flights out of the Washington, Baltimore and Charlotte, North Carolina, airports.
Gov. Tom Wolf has declared a state of emergency for Pennsylvania ahead of this weekend's winter storm.
That declaration allows state and local authorities to respond as quickly as possible to the impacted areas.
"Declaring
a state of emergency allows the commonwealth to deliver state resources
wherever they're needed as quickly as possible," said Governor Wolf in a
statement. "We have multiple state agencies working at the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Agency to monitor weather conditions across the
state and we will respond to help local governments and residents in
need."
The proclamation authorizes state agencies to use all
available resources and personnel, as necessary, to cope with the
magnitude and severity of the situation, Wolf said. The time-consuming
bid and contract procedures, as well as other formalities normally
prescribed by law, are waived for the duration of the proclamation.
It
comes hours after a blizzard watch was issued for southeastern parts of
Pennsylvania from Friday night through Sunday morning.
Philadelphia could see up to 18 inches of snow, along with strong winds and blowing snow.
PennDOT has started treating major highways in anticipation of the weekend storm.
In D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser requested Humvees from the National Guard to reach isolated people and places if necessary.
“If this is a blizzard and we have sustained winds and people lose
power, that would be my biggest concern,” Bowser said at a news
conference. “We can move the snow. We will move the snow.”
In the areas where blizzard conditions are possible, the weather
service warns that travel will be limited or impossible. The strongest
winds and potentially life-threatening conditions are expected Friday
night through Saturday night.
Amtrak canceled several national services for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, including Crescent service from New York to New Orleans, Cardinal service from New York to Chicago and Silver Meteor service from New York to Miami.
We will suspend flights at our Dulles hub and other mid-Atlantic airports starting Friday, Jan. 22, at 4 p.m. ET.
"This is going to be a legitimate blizzard," said Ari Sarsalari, a meteorologist for The Weather Channel. "Some of these [snow] numbers are absolutely staggering."
Saturday will be "an absolute mess," he added, predicting that travel would be "literally impossible anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region."
One area where the forecast had changed was New England, which now looked likely to miss out on the snow, save for a possible inch in Boston on Saturday, according to Weather Channel lead forecaster Michael Palmer.
"I think the folks up there are probably used to that, anyway," he said.
WATCH: Washington, D.C., taking unprecedented precautions ahead of storm.
A day after a mere inch of snow paralyzed Washington, transit authorities shut down the D.C.-area Metro system — the nation's second-busiest mass transit network — for the entire weekend. No trains will run after 11 p.m. Friday, and buses will be benched at 5 p.m., during the heart of the evening rush hour.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, however, suggested his city is made of sterner stuff and said there were no plans yet to close the subway. Latest forecasts predicted a range of 8 to 12 inches of snow there.
Many areas were under blizzard advisories because of strong winds forecast for the weekend. Forecasters warned that 60-mph gusts could blow wet, heavy snow into trees, power lines and transformers, presaging widespread power failures in the East from North Carolina to New England.
Multiple photos uploaded to social media show the aftermath of sporadic panic buys at various grocery stores, leaving empty milk and bread shelves.
D.C. officials are cautioning residents to have 72 hours' worth of
supplies on hand -- but as residents scrambled to get ready, they're ran
into trouble at some area gas stations.
And because a full moon will swell tides this weekend, "moderate to major" coastal floods could be in store from Maryland and Delaware to Connecticut — including coastal New York — said Michael Lowry, a storm surge specialist for The Weather Channel.
The storm is expected to reach so far south that it could affect Sunday's National Football Conference championship game between the Carolina Panthers and the Arizona Cardinals in Charlotte.
WATCH: Is El Niño to Blame for Brewing Winter Nightmare?
A forecast of freezing rain Friday led the city to cancel a pep rally for the team, and snow up to 3½ inches is forecast for Saturday, when the Cardinals are scheduled to fly to Charlotte ahead of Sunday's game.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport had canceled almost 400 arrivals for Friday and about 50 so far for Saturday, but the Cardinals said that for now, they didn't expect to be delayed.
But for the team's fans, getting to the game could be tricky.
"I'm a little nervous," Tyler Vasquez of Phoenix told NBC station KPNX. "I have yet to get an email from my airline, [but] a lot of people in our group that we have that are going on this trip have posted, 'I've got this email or my flight's been canceled.'"
If necessary, Vasquez said, he'll fly to Atlanta on Saturday and try to make the 4½-hour drive to Charlotte.
Meanwhile, in Chesterfield County, Virginia, school officials got creative in announcing the cancellation of classes with a district-wide music video.
The weather system produced entirely different effects further south, with a "possible tornado" causing major damage to two homes and downed trees and power lines in Mississippi's Lamar County late Thursday, according to The National Weather Service.
In Florida's Calhoun County, radar detected "tornado debris signature" at 4:50 a.m. ET, although both twisters were yet unconfirmed.
Thunderstorms were also possible across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, sparked by the same warm air from the Gulf of Mexico that was clashing with cold air further north and producing all that snow.
WATCH: Tornado-Like Conditions Hit Mississippi as Storm System Rages.
