Severe weather hits the US with heavy snowfall, hazardous ice, and a tornado in California

OMAHA, Neb. — A tornado struck near a shopping center in central California, causing several vehicles to be tossed around, trees to be uprooted, and several individuals to be hospitalized. This incident also led to San Francisco issuing its first tornado warning in history.

In various regions across the United States, adverse weather conditions have created concerns. Upstate New York has seen heavy snowfall, with an ice storm impacting the Midwest states. Additionally, severe weather warnings have been issued around Lake Tahoe.

The ice storm, which began on Friday evening, resulted in hazardous driving conditions throughout Iowa and eastern Nebraska into Saturday. This severe weather led to temporary closures of Interstate 80 after numerous accidents involving vehicles sliding off the road occurred. In upstate New York, some areas reported over 33 inches (84 centimeters) of snow, particularly near Orchard Park, known for its lake-effect snowfall.

On Saturday afternoon, at approximately 1:40 p.m., a tornado touched down near a retail area in Scotts Valley, California, roughly 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of San Francisco. The National Weather Service reported that the tornado overturned cars and knocked down trees and utility poles. The local police department confirmed that several people were injured and required transportation to hospitals.

In San Francisco, wind gusts reached 80 mph (130 kph), causing trees to fall onto vehicles and streets, as well as damaging rooftops. It was noted by meteorologist Dalton Behringer that this damage was caused by straight-line winds rather than a tornado.

Roger Gass, a meteorologist from the Monterey office of the National Weather Service, mentioned that the tornado warning issued for San Francisco was unprecedented for the city, contrasting it with a previous tornado incident nearly 20 years prior, for which no advance warning had been given.

The swiftly moving storm led officials to advise residents to seek shelter; however, many homes in the area lack basements.

Lake Tahoe’s ski resorts received significant snowfall, with peak gusts recorded at 112 mph (181 kph) at the Mammoth Mountain resort, situated south of Yosemite National Park. Forecasts predicted up to 3 feet (91 centimeters) of snow for the mountaintops of the Sierra Nevada.

Despite the wintry conditions, the Tahoe Live music festival held at Palisades Tahoe ski resort in California continued as planned, featuring performances by Lil Wayne and Diplo on Sunday. According to festival organizers, the resort recorded 3.5 feet (1 meter) of snow since Friday, and an avalanche warning was in effect at least until the following Monday morning.

On Saturday, an 80-mile (130-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 80, running from Applegate, California, to the Nevada border just west of Reno, was closed. By the afternoon, the California Highway Patrol managed to reopen the highway for passenger vehicles equipped with chains, four-wheel drive, or snow tires.

In the Midwest, the severe weather resulted in at least one fatality. The Washington County Sheriff’s office in Nebraska reported that a 57-year-old woman lost control of her pickup on Highway 30 near Arlington, colliding with an oncoming truck. The other driver involved sustained minor injuries.

As temperatures began to rise in the afternoon, many businesses planned to open later on Saturday, facilitating the melting of ice in most areas. “Fortunately, milder air is moving in to provide some temporary relief,” stated Dave Cousins, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Davenport, Iowa.

In western Washington state, approximately tens of thousands of residents experienced power outages on Saturday as strong winds and rain generated by the storm swept through, according to local news reports.