Snow and Ice Wreaking Havoc Throughout U.S. – Here are the Latest Updates

Posted: February 22, 2023 4:17 pm

A far-reaching storm system is roaring through much of the U.S. on Wednesday, bringing life to a standstill with heavy snow and dangerous ice. Here is the latest on this dynamic weather maker.

Current Severe Weather Alerts in Effect

More than 22 million Americans were under a widespread winter storm warning as of Wednesday morning. The alerts by the National Weather Service (NWS) stretched across a large swath of the country, expanding from the Southwest, through the Midwest, and into portions of New England.

In addition to the blanket winter storm warnings, there are also multiple ice warnings in effect for an area from Iowa into Michigan, impacting over 6 million people. Those in the area can expect to see a mix of snow, freezing rain, and sleet. A portion of Interstate 94 is in the impact zone for this icy mix.

You will find blizzard warnings to the west, affecting about 2 million people living in the northern Plains and in parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Whiteout conditions were reported on roads in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota on Wednesday morning. Some stretches of Interstate 29 were rendered impassible because of heavy snowfall and strong winds.

Minneapolis Hit Particularly Hard

The Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area has been hit particularly hard with this storm system with more snow on the way. The Twin Cities have already recorded 2 to 5 inches of snow with a forecast of more of the white stuff on the horizon. Southern Minnesota is predicted to see blizzard conditions develop later in the day.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has mobilized the state’s National Guard in order to provide immediate assistance to residents needing help. The Minnesota State Patrol is asking people to stay home if possible.

The Twin Cities metro area is predicted to see 18 to 24 inches of snow before the system winds down. Should this come to fruition, the storm would rank as one of the biggest in the history of the city. A measurement of 16.5 inches would put this storm in the top 10 of February snow events. The worst February snowstorm in history for Minneapolis happened in 2019 when 39 inches of snow fell.

Other Snow Reports

While the snow is still coming down hard in many locations, the town of Dupuyer, Montana currently has the distinction of the highest snowfall totals out of this storm. The town in northern Montana is reporting 32 inches of snow at its elevation of over 4,000 feet. Sugar Loaf Mountain in southern Wyoming has already recorded 27 inches of snow.

There is a wide discrepancy of snowfall measurements throughout the northern Plains with amounts ranging from 1 inch to 14.5 inches. The 14.5 inches is being reported just north of Duluth, Minnesota along the coastline of Lake Superior.

Threat of Ice

This winter storm is also bringing a significant threat of ice to parts of the Midwest and New England. Slippery roads, power outages, and more are all expected due to the thick ice. Cities that may see these ice impacts include Des Moines, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Albany.

You can also expect some snow to mix in with the ice. The threat of ice will stay in the forecast through Thursday.

The winter weather has precipitated a number of flight cancellations and delays. The bulk of these disruptions were reported at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Officials warn that the airport may need to shut down for a brief time as the heavy snow continues. Other airports that are experiencing a large number of cancellations and delays include Denver International Airport and Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport.

Widespread Power Outages in the Southwest

The inclement weather has not been limited to the northern half of the U.S. A combination of high winds and snow at the higher elevations has triggered widespread power outages across the Southwest. There were about 150,000 customers without power by Wednesday morning in this corner of the country. The central coast of California reported over 100,000 outages with more customers in the dark through Arizona and in isolated portions of the Rocky Mountains.

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) took a proactive approach and preemptively posed a number of roads that they knew would pose hazards as the snow picked up in the higher elevations. This included a 260-mile stretch of Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff headed to the border with New Mexico. In addition, ADOT closed a long portion of Interstate 17 heading south out of Flagstaff.

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