TL/DR –
Over 30 million Americans faced winter weather advisories due to extreme conditions, including heavy snow, high winds, and flooding rains, impacting various regions of the country. The Midwest experienced blizzard conditions, while the Northeast and New England grappled with heavy rains and flooding, leading to power outages and evacuations. As extreme cold hit the West and the South, officials issued winter storm warnings and advised residents to avoid outdoor activities, with some states declaring states of emergency.
Winter Weather Grips United States
Billings, Mont., residents awoke to -25 degrees Fahrenheit, while homeowners in Des Moines battled a blizzard and 45-mph winds. East Coast towns prepared for flooding from rain, and Gulf Coast communities braced for a deep freeze. Over 30 million Americans faced winter weather advisories on Saturday, forecasts the National Weather Service, with the US anticipating the coldest conditions this winter.
Midwestern Conditions
By Saturday, blizzard warnings were in effect across Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Many parts of Nebraska, Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota also faced winter storm warnings, with 300,000+ households in the Great Lakes region without power, cites PowerOutage.us. Illinois and Missouri braced for bitter wind chills.
Northeastern Weather
Heavy rainfall hit New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut since Friday, causing power outages and flooding in some areas. The downpour even prompted evacuations near the Passaic River in Paterson and Little Falls in New Jersey. New England also experienced power outages and anticipated flooding as high wind gusts swept the region. Coastal flood advisories and warnings were issued from Connecticut to Maine.
Western Weather
Parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Northern California, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Alaska were under winter storm warnings on Saturday. The cold air moving through is expected to drastically lower temperatures, reaching -40 or -50 in Montana on Saturday. Additionally, freezing rain is expected in Oregon due to another winter storm hitting the West.
Southern Storms
Tennessee counties are under a winter storm watch from Sunday to Tuesday with temperatures expected to plummet Saturday night. In Texas, officials are bracing for subfreezing temperatures, and a wintry mix is anticipated in eastern Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Oklahoma expects “dangerously cold wind chills,” and Louisiana and Arkansas declared states of emergency ahead of the worsening conditions.
—
Read More US News