Winter storm threatens record snowfall in parts of US
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[February 22, 2023] By
Brendan O'Brien
CHICAGO (Reuters) -A winter storm spreading across the U.S. West into
the Northern Plains and Midwest on Tuesday could produce blizzards,
brutal cold, and record snowfall, making roads treacherous and
disrupting air travel.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm, blizzard and high-wind
advisories for large parts of the western and north-central United
States. Up to two feet (61 cm) of snow and winds of up to 60 miles (97
km) per hour were expected in some spots from Tuesday through Thursday.
Snow falling at a rate of two inches an hour and gusty winds will make
travel conditions treacherous and perhaps impossible in parts of the
Northern Plains and the Upper Midwest, the service said in its forecast.
"Snowplow crews will be out working statewide, but this storm could be a
doozy," the Minnesota Department of Transportation said in a tweet.
While much of the United States will grapple with cold, snowy weather,
parts of the South may, by contrast, see record high temperatures this
week.
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Some parts may have temperatures that are over 100 degrees Fahrenheit
warmer than in the Northern Plains, the forecast showed. Orlando could
hit a record high of 90 degrees (32 C), while the temperature is
expected to drop to -16 (-27 C) in Billings, Montana, the NWS said.
The slow-moving storm started over the Presidents' Day holiday weekend,
bringing heavy rain to parts of California and snow to the Sierra Nevada
mountains. On Tuesday, it was centered over the northern Rockies and the
High Plains, including Montana and the Dakotas.
Starting Wednesday, the storm will move into the Upper Midwest with
"some of the greatest impacts in Minnesota and Wisconsin," said Frank
Pereira, a forecaster with the NWS Prediction Center in College Park,
Maryland.
Late on Wednesday through Thursday, the storm will bring heavy snow and
freezing rain to New England. New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine could get
a foot or more of snow, Pereira said.
The lingering storm could also dump snow across California. Nearly all
of the state's 39 million residents will either witness snow falling or
be able to see the tops of nearby mountains covered in snow this week,
UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said.
Strong winds knocked out power to more 163,000 California homes and
businesses on Tuesday, largely in the counties just south of San
Francisco, as peak wind at San Francisco International Airport reached
68 mph (109 kph) on Tuesday afternoon, the weather service said.
BRACED FOR BLIZZARDS
In California, the NWS issued blizzard warnings from early Friday
through Saturday evening for Los Angeles County mountains, Ventura
County mountains and Santa Barbara County interior mountains. The agency
said these areas will also be under a winter storm warning until Friday
and advised people against traveling.
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![](../images/022223PIX/news_f74.jpg)
A family steps into the ocean as a
winter storm approaches in Oceanside, California, U.S., February 21,
2023. REUTERS/Mike Blake
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Feb/22/images/ads/current/ldn_lda_BUSINESSDIRECTORY_PROMO_2023.png)
Officials in Minneapolis told residents to prepare for blizzard-like
conditions on Wednesday and Thursday, telling them to move their
vehicles off the streets.
The city of 425,000 people could see as much as 20 inches of snow,
which would be the most for a February snowstorm and one of the top
five heaviest snowfalls of all time in a Midwestern city already
renowned for its brutal winters, according to the state's Department
of Natural Resources.
Weather conditions were quickly deteriorating in Montana, Wyoming
and North Dakota on Tuesday. Snow bands and strong gusty winds were
causing whiteout conditions in Great Falls, Montana, the NWS said.
The storm will cause wind chill temperatures to drop to -25
Fahrenheit, which could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little
as 30 minutes, forecasters warned.
The growing frequency and intensity of such storms, interspersed
with extreme heat and dry spells, are symptoms of climate change,
experts say.
Transportation officials in Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas
urged motorists to drive slowly or stay off the roads altogether
over the next couple of days.
More than 480 flights in and out of Denver, Minneapolis, and Salt
Lake City, Utah were delayed or canceled. In all, more than 1,300
flights were delayed or canceled in the United States as of Tuesday
afternoon, Flightaware.com reported.
Although the snow storm could wreak havoc on daily life, it was
welcomed by skiers.
"KaBoom!," the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming said in a
tweet. "We're in the grips of a powerful storm and delays due to
strong winds and heavy snow are likely. Thanks for your patience as
we prepare paradise for you."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Feb/22/images/ads/current/LPL_small%201.gif)
Down in Florida, locals prepared for a different kind of recreation.
"We regularly hit 80s in February every year, but once we start
going in that 85 to 90 range, that is much above normal," said NWS
meteorologist Jason Hess in Jacksonville. "It's the early beach
season for us down here."
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Additional reporting by
Rich McKay in Atlanta and Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by
Rosalba O'Brien, Christopher Cushing and Barbara Lewis)
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