Winter storm: Tornadoes and high winds hit central US as new rain and snow storm hits west and north

CNN
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As severe storms have led to at least nine tornado reports in parts of the central U.S., a barrage of snow, rain and strong winds is predicted Monday in places from the West Coast to the Great Lakes, including some still without power. after a similar series of severe storms. again last week.

More than 300,000 U.S. homes and businesses were without power Monday afternoon PowerOutage.us. About two-thirds of the outages occurred in Michigan, which is bracing for another round of ice and snow to hit the region on Monday. More than 66,000 outages were reported in California and more than 10,000 each in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.

In Oklahoma, at least seven tornadoes and 12 injuries were reported 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 ripped through. A wind gust of 114 mph was recorded in Memphis, Texas – equivalent to sustained winds in a Category 3 hurricane.

“I got up and then the wind just threw me back. And I scream,” said Frances Tabler of Norman, Oklahoma CNN affiliate KOCO. “It was like a blizzard in the house.”

Overturned cars and fallen trees littered neighborhoods where roofs had been torn off homes early Monday, CNN’s Ed Lavandera reported.

Preliminary survey information from the National Weather Service office in Norman has confirmed that the tornado was at least an EF-2 Sunday night. The research team will continue to examine the path “where significant damage would have occurred,” the weather service said, and more details about wind speed, path length and tornado width will be available when the study is complete.

In anticipation of high winds and possible hail from Sunday night into Monday, a unit at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas, moved most of the aircraft to protect them and ensure they can still be deployed if necessary. announced.

As the storm shifts north Monday afternoon, a small risk of severe weather — possibly a few tornadoes and wind gusts — could affect cities like Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. A tornado watch is in place for southeastern Ohio, northeastern Kentucky, and western West Virginia through 7 p.m. ET Monday, and a watch has been issued for parts of Ohio, eastern Indiana and far northern Kentucky, in effect until 6 p.m. ET, including Fort Wayne, Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus.

In the west — where last week’s storms prompted rare blizzard warnings and California road flooding — a separate system of high-altitude rain and snow from the Pacific Northwest will move into California and the Rockies through Monday.

Nine western states are under winter weather warnings Monday as heavy snow is predicted throughout the region, including up to 10 inches in Washington state’s Cascades by early Tuesday; 1 to 3 feet at high elevations and mountain peaks of western Oregon; and 1 to 3 feet in mountainous areas of the Rockies.

A blizzard warning remains in effect for California’s Sierra Nevada mountains, which could see between 2 and 6 feet of snow.

A portion of Interstate 80 — from Applegate, California, to the Nevada state line — was closed Monday “due to whiteout conditions,” the state transportation department said in a statement. tweet.

The National Weather Service warned that travelers in the areas subject to a blizzard warning could be “stuck in vehicles for hours” as visibility can sometimes be near zero until early Wednesday.

Yosemite National Park was closed Saturday due to severe weather and will not reopen until Wednesday as the multi-day blizzard warning remains in effect in Yosemite Valley, the park announced. The valley could see as much as 55 to 84 inches of snow by Wednesday, the park said.

The storm system hitting Oklahoma and Ohio is expected to move northeast Monday afternoon, where parts of the inland region could see widespread snowfall of 6 to 12 inches.

Meanwhile, the South is expecting another week of unusually warm winter temperatures after steaming below record highs last week.

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 into the 90s.

As the National Weather Service reviews reports of severe weather Sunday through Monday morning, it will work to determine whether the system can be classified as a derecho, which forecasters previously said was possible.

A derecho is a widespread, long-lived storm, typically causing damage in one direction over a relatively straight path, according to the service again. To be classified as a derecho, the stretch of wind damage must extend more than 240 miles and include wind gusts of at least 58 mph over most of its length, it says.

In total, more than 140 storm reports were made across the Southern Plains on Sunday, mostly winds in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. This also includes 14 hail reports in those states, with several hailstones reportedly measuring 1.75 inches in diameter.

Nine tornadoes were reported in Oklahoma and Kansas, including those in the Oklahoma town of Norman, where police warned of road closures, downed power lines and debris.

Twelve weather-related injuries were reported early Monday, Normandy police said. None were critical, the department said after consulting hospitals in the area.

Students on the campus of the University of Oklahoma at Norman were told to seek shelter immediately Sunday evening as the area was under a tornado warning, which was later lifted.

Oklahoma officials are still assessing the damage, though the most concentrated effects appear to be in Norman, Shawnee and possibly Cheyenne, said Keli Cain, public affairs director for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.

A United States Postal Service training facility in Norman was among the damaged buildings, a USPS spokesperson said. No injuries were reported to the National Center for Employee Development, but some windows were blown out and power lines knocked down in the parking lot, the spokesman said. No mail is processed or handled on the site.

About a dozen families displaced by a tornado in Liberal, Kansas, are being taken care of and about 10 trailers have also been damaged, City Manager Rusty Varnado said. At least one person was injured 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 travel conditions, road closures and significant power outages, disrupting the daily lives of many.

This week, the Great Lakes are poised to be hit again, including Michigan, where about 130,000 homes and businesses were still without power as of Monday morning after earlier storms damaged trees and utility lines.

Utility company DTE, one of Michigan’s largest electricity suppliers, said 630,000 of its customers have been affected by the storms so far. Power was back on Sunday night for about 600,000 of their customers, the utility said.

Another round of mixed precipitation is expected to move into the region on Monday, with those under winter weather warnings potentially seeing between 2 and 8 inches of snowfall.

As the storm moves eastward, winter storm watches are also in effect for parts of inland New York and New England through Wednesday afternoon. In total, up to 25 cm of snow can fall in these isolated areas.

With freezing rain and wind gusts of up to 40 mph expected Monday night in the Finger Lakes, Long Island, New York City and Western New York areas, Governor Kathy Hochul’s office warned that travel is likely to be affected in the eastern part of the state Tuesday morning.

“Government agencies are preparing emergency response resources and we stand ready to assist local governments before, during and after the storm. I encourage everyone to watch the weather this week and stay safe,” the governor said in a press release.

Schools in Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, are closed Tuesday due to expected winter weather.

Boston, which is under a winter weather advisory Monday night through Tuesday night, is expected to receive 2 to 5 inches of snow.