Winter storm: Tornadoes and strong winds hit central US as more rain and snow hit west and north
CNN
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As severe storms have triggered at least nine tornado reports in parts of the central US, a flurry of snow, rain and harsh winds are forecast Monday from the west coast to the Great Lakes, including some still without power from the crash. similar line severe weather last week.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 300,000 US homes and businesses were out of power. PowerOutage.com. About two-thirds of the outages have been in Michigan, which is bracing for another round of ice and snow that will hit the region on Monday. Over 66,000 power outages were reported in California and over 10,000 in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
At least seven tornadoes and 12 injuries were reported in Oklahoma during Sunday’s severe weather. Two tornadoes were reported in Kansas.
More than 100 other storm reports, including wind and hail, were recorded in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas as hurricane-force winds and severe thunderstorms swept through. Wind gusts of 114 mph were recorded in Memphis, Texas, equivalent to the sustained winds of a Category 3 hurricane.
“I got up and then the wind just threw me back. And I’m screaming,” said Frances Tabler of Norman, Oklahoma. CNN affiliate COCO. “It was like a snowstorm inside the house.”
Early Monday morning, overturned cars and downed trees littered areas where roofs were blown off houses, CNN’s Ed Lavandera reported.
Preliminary research data from the National Weather Service office in Norman confirmed that Sunday night’s tornado was at least an EF-2. The research team will continue to survey the path “where significant damage has been reported,” the weather service said, and more information on wind speed, path length and tornado width will be available once the survey is completed.
Ahead of strong winds and possible hail from Sunday night into Monday, the unit at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, redeployed most of its aircraft to protect them and ensure they can still be deployed if needed. announced.
As the storm moves north on Monday afternoon, a small risk of severe weather — possibly a few tornadoes and gusts of wind — could affect cities including Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. The tornado watch is in effect for southeastern Ohio, northeastern Kentucky, and western West Virginia until 7:00 pm ET Monday., and watches were issued for parts of Ohio, eastern Indiana, and far north Kentucky in effect until 6:00 pm ET, including Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus.
In the west, where last week’s storms triggered rare blizzard and road flooding warnings in California, a separate system of rain and high mountain snow will move from the Pacific Northwest down into California and into the Rocky Mountains through Monday.
Nine western states issued a winter weather alert Monday as heavy snow is forecast across the region, including up to 10 inches in the Washington State Cascades by early Tuesday; 1 to 3 feet in the highlands and mountain peaks of western Oregon; and 1 to 3 feet in the mountainous areas of the Rocky Mountains.
The blizzard warning remains in effect for the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, which can see 2 to 6 feet of snow.
Part of Interstate 80 – from Applegate, California to the Nevada border – was closed on Monday “due to lack of power,” the state Department of Transportation said in a statement. tweet.
The National Weather Service has warned that travelers in areas where a blizzard warning is in effect could be “stuck in vehicles for several hours” as visibility can sometimes be near zero until early Wednesday.
Yosemite National Park was closed on Saturday due to bad weather and won’t reopen until at least Wednesday as a multi-day blizzard warning remains in place for Yosemite Valley, the park. announced. The valley could receive 55 to 84 inches of snow by Wednesday, park officials said.
By Monday afternoon, the storm system that hit Oklahoma and Ohio is expected to spread to the northeast, where wide-ranging 6 to 12 inches of snowfall could be seen in the interior of the region.
Meanwhile, the South is looking forward to another week of unusually warm winter temperatures after last week’s record highs.
Dozens of daily high temperature records could be broken again in the coming days as areas of southern Texas and the Florida peninsula could see temperatures rise into the 90s.
As the National Weather Service reviews severe weather reports Sunday through Monday morning, it will work to determine if the system can be classified as a derecho, which forecasters said was previously possible.
Derecho – widespread, long lived stormwhich usually causes damage in one direction in a relatively straight path, according to weather service. To be classified as a derecho, he says, a wind damage patch must extend more than 240 miles and include wind gusts of at least 58 mph over most of its length.
In total, more than 140 storm reports were made on the Southern Plains on Sunday, mostly wind in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. This also includes 14 hail reports in these states, with several hailstones reported as 1.75 inches in diameter.
Nine tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma and Kansas, including one in the Oklahoma city of Norman, where police warned of road closures, downed power lines, and debris.
The Normandy police department said 12 weather-related injuries were reported on Monday morning. None of them were critical, the department said after a meeting with local hospitals.
Students on the University of Oklahoma’s Norman campus were ordered to take shelter immediately Sunday night as a tornado warning was issued for the area, which was later lifted.
Officials in Oklahoma are still assessing the damage, although the most concentrated strikes appear to be on Norman, Shawnee and possibly Cheyenne, said Kelly Kane, director of public relations for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
Among the damaged buildings was the US Postal Service training center in Norman, according to a USPS spokesman. No injuries were recorded at the National Personnel Development Center, but several windows were smashed in the parking lot and power lines were downed, a spokesman said. No mail is processed or processed on the site.
About a dozen families displaced by the tornado in Liberal, Kansas were accommodated, and about 10 trailers were also damaged, city manager Rusty Varnado said. At least one person was hit by broken glass, he said, noting that the injuries were minor.
Freezing rain, snow and ice in the Great Lakes region and parts of the Midwest last week resulted in dangerous driving conditions, road closures and significant power outages. disruption of daily life for many.
The Great Lakes could be hit again this week, including Michigan, where about 130,000 homes and businesses were still without power early Monday after previous hurricanes damaged trees and utilities.
Utility company DTE, one of Michigan’s largest electricity providers, said 630,000 of its customers have already been affected by the hurricanes. By Sunday evening, power had been restored to about 600,000 of their customers, the utility said.
Another round of mixed precipitation is expected to hit the region on Monday, with those under a winter weather warning likely to see 2 to 8 inches of snow.
As the storm moves east, winter storm hours are also in effect for parts of the interior of New York and New England until Wednesday noon. In total, up to 10 inches of snow can fall in these isolated areas.
With freezing rain and wind gusts of up to 40 mph expected Monday night across the Finger Lakes, Long Island, New York and Western New York, the Governor of New York said. Katie Hochul’s office warned that travel to the eastern part of the state is likely to be affected Tuesday morning.
“Government agencies are preparing emergency response facilities, and we are ready to help local governments before, during and after the storm. I urge everyone to watch the weather this week and stay safe,” the Governor said in a statement.
Schools in Hartford, Connecticut and Providence, Rhode Island will be closed on Tuesday due to expected winter weather.
Boston, which has winter weather advisories in effect Monday evening through Tuesday evening, is expected to receive 2 to 5 inches of snow.