Snow, sleet, and freezing rain were forecasted to persist across the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic regions on Wednesday, while California braced for a significant storm that could inundate areas impacted by recent wildfires.
Heavy snowfall accumulation was anticipated in Virginia and West Virginia, reaching up to approximately 14 inches (25 centimeters), as reported by the National Weather Service. Ice accumulation could exceed one-third of an inch (8.4 millimeters) in Stanleytown, Virginia, and a quarter of an inch (6.3 millimeters) in Glendale Springs, North Carolina.
In California, an incoming atmospheric river—a continuous band of moisture that transports humid air from tropical regions—was predicted to arrive late Wednesday, leading to potential flooding in urban locations throughout central and Southern California, according to meteorological authorities.
The snowstorm that swept through the mid-Atlantic on Tuesday resulted in icy roads, leading to numerous accidents and the closure of schools. By Tuesday evening, nearly 12,000 residents in Virginia were without power, as reported by PowerOutage.us.
On Tuesday night, the Virginia Department of Transportation used social media to urge residents to remain home, sharing an image featuring Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” emphasizing the safety of home.
In parts of Baltimore and Washington, snowfall rates reached about an inch (2.5 centimeters) each hour, as indicated by the weather service. As a safety measure, all public schools in Washington closed on Wednesday due to the weather conditions.
Appalachian Power, which serves approximately one million customers across West Virginia, Virginia, and Tennessee, announced that around 5,400 workers were dedicated to restoring power outages.
Additionally, about 65 Virginia National Guard soldiers were deployed across areas following Interstate 95 and state Route 29 and in southwestern Virginia for storm response efforts, while another 20 soldiers were engaged in supplementary roles.
Winter storm warnings covered areas from northwest North Carolina up to southern New Jersey, with expectations that the wintry mix would transition to all rain as temperatures increased by Wednesday afternoon.
At the same time, a distinct storm system was set to deliver heavy snowfall across regions from Kansas to the Great Lakes beginning Tuesday night. In response to the weather conditions, the Kansas Legislature canceled meetings scheduled for Wednesday, and Governor Laura Kelly ordered the closure of state offices in Topeka.
The Virginia state police documented over 700 accidents and numerous injuries on Tuesday as Governor Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency, prompting the closure of schools and government offices. While spokesperson Matt Demlein noted that not all accidents could be conclusively attributed to the weather, there was evidence of significant impacts.
In southern West Virginia, several major highways were significantly disrupted due to multiple accidents on Tuesday, with local towing services responding to numerous calls from tractor-trailer drivers who found themselves stranded on icy roads.
Paige Williams, owner of Downtown Books in Lexington, VA, shut down her store due to inclement weather. She expressed hope for reopening on Wednesday, citing the efficiency of local road clearing in Rockbridge County, although she acknowledged that rain could complicate road conditions as temperatures fluctuated around freezing. “It depends on how temperatures play out; rain could both clear and freeze roadways, creating dangerous ‘skating rinks’ instead of safe passages,” she remarked.
A cold wave from an Arctic air mass extended from Portland, Oregon, to the Great Lakes, with temperatures plunging to minus 31 degrees (minus 35 Celsius) in Butte, Montana. Recent winters have seen cold exposure claim at least five lives in the area, leading advocates to distribute essential cold weather gear to those in need.
Officials in Oregon’s Multnomah County extended a state of emergency through at least Thursday, setting up five emergency shelters to assist residents. Wind chill factors in Portland could drop to 10 degrees (minus 12 Celsius) midweek.
In California, the anticipated atmospheric river is expected to hit late Wednesday, reaching its peak on Thursday, according to meteorological forecasts. In addition to rainfall, significant snowfall is forecasted for the Sierra Nevada mountains, with over 700,000 sandbags distributed across various regions of central and Southern California to mitigate flooding risks.
