Cross-country Storm Leaves Behind Significant Snow and Widespread Power Outages

Posted: February 24, 2023 2:03 pm

The week brought a cross-country storm that left behind measurable snow in over 30 states, creating havoc on the roads and in the skies while cutting power for thousands of Americans. Here is a look back at what will go down as one of the most impactful storms of the year.

Portland Sees Record Snow

While the snow across the Upper Midwest stole most of the weather headlines, it was also particularly snowy in the Northwest. Portland saw its snowiest day in 80 years when the city recorded 10.8 inches of the white stuff on Wednesday. This is the most snow for one single day in Portland since January of 1943.

Because Portland is not accustomed to seeing this type of snow event, it did not take long for roads to become impassable. Motorists were stranded for hours on some stretches of U.S. Highway 26 as the snow piled up.

The Seattle area also picked up some light snow out of this weather maker with the foothills surrounding the city seeing measurable accumulation. Sunny skies and warmer temperatures on Thursday and Friday has melted most of this snow.

Wyoming Records Snow Measured in Feet

The Wyoming Department of Transportation warned motorists to stay off the roads as the storm system dropped snow in measurements up to 4 feet in some areas. The gusty winds also created large snow drifts that buried vehicles. Casper was ground zero for the worst of the conditions with all roads in and out of the town forced to close on Wednesday.

The town of Battle Lake in the southern part of the state saw 4 feet of new accumulation. Just north of this town, the Jack Creek Campground reported a whopping 44.4 inches of snow. Despite being used to snow of this magnitude, residents were caught off guard by the ferocity of this storm system.

Southwest Under the Gun for Snow

This system hit nearly every pocket of the U.S., including the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain region. The Arizona Department of Transportation acted proactively by closing numerous highways before the storm even got going, including a 260-mile stretch of Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff. The department also closed a long portion of Interstate 17 due to rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Colorado also saw its fair share of road closures beginning Wednesday. The Colorado Department of Transportation closed an eastbound portion of U.S. Route 40 between Steamboat Springs and Kremmling. Conditions were also rough in the friendly skies with over 150 cancelled flights and more than 500 delays reported at Denver International Airport, a major hub for United Airlines.

The storm also knocked out power to thousands of families in the Southwest. For instance, California reported over 100,000 customers in the dark on Wednesday.

Situation in Minneapolis and the Midwest

On the other side of the country, Minneapolis was hit the hardest across the Upper Midwest. Many roads remained closed throughout the day Thursday even after the snow had moved out of the region. It was also a rough few days for travelers using Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for their air travel.

Ice was an issue for many other parts of the Midwest. Over 900,000 customers were in the dark at the height of the storm, spread across Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. By Friday morning, there were still over 700,000 customers without power in Michigan.

This freezing rain associated with this storm system snarled travel in and out of Detroit’s Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. The major hub reported over 200 flight cancellations and delays on Wednesday.

What is Next?

Looking ahead, forecasters are predicting a mass of colder air to move across much of the northern U.S. this weekend. While the mercury will tumble, mostly dry conditions will keep winter precipitation at bay. The exception will be the chance of snow showers in northern Michigan to close out the week.

The biggest weather story of the weekend will be out West as a massive storm system comes in from the Pacific Ocean. Southern California will be the primary impact zone of this system, as the area braces for significant snow in the foothills, torrential downpours in the coastal areas, and the potential of blizzard conditions across the Grapevine. The worst of the weather impacts will happen late Friday into Saturday. Forecasters are warning that this system could be the biggest of the season for the southern portion of the Golden State.

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