Winter storms leave 89 dead across US as chill settles over Great Lakes and Northeast

A downed power line killed three in Oregon as northeast braces for more snow

Private plane makes emergency landing on a highway due to snowy conditions

At least 89 people have been killed across the country over the past two weeks as severe weather plagues the United States, according to an updated count by CBS News.

The most winter weather-related deaths have occurred in Tennessee after a truck spun out of control due to snowy conditions, causing it to slam into a tractor-trailer.

The governor of Oregon declared a state of emergency as its state is being pelted with freezing rain and winter storms that have led to fallen trees, massive power outages and at least 16 deaths.

Two adults and one teenager died after a power line fell onto a car in northeast Portland on Wednesday morning following a severe storm in Oregon. Officials also found an uninjured two-year-old on the scene whom they took to the hospital.

Now, several inches of lake-effect snow is hitting the Great Lakes region and northeast US, while arctic temperatures settle over the southeast US.

In Florida, meteorologists say low temperatures could impact wildlife, leading to a rare weather-related phenomenon: falling iguanas.

The severe winter storms have also unleashed travel chaos across the country, leading to thousands of flight cancellations and delays across the country.

Key points

• Three people killed after power line falls on car amid Oregon storms
• Winter weather caused more than 80 deaths over the last week
• Private plane emergency lands on snowy Virginia highway
• Lake-effect snow blankets the Great Lakes
• Buffalo Bills call for snow shovelers a second time ahead of playoff game

[21 January 2024 13:00 · Katie Hawkinson]

Watch as NWS meteorologists dig way out of office as heavy snow hits Iowa

[21 January 2024 14:01 · Katie Hawkinson]

ICYMI: Cold temperatures are causing iguanas to drop from the sky in Florida

Iguanas may once again be falling from the sky in southwest Florida over the weekend.

Matt Devitt, the chief meteorologist for WINK News in Florida, shared a graphic on Thursday warning residents “from Sanibel to Cape Coral to Naples” to keep an eye open for raining reptiles.

The temperature in the state’s southwest is expected to drop into the 40s — 30s with windchill — over the weekend. The cold snap is part of a broader system that brought snow and ice to huge swaths of the US this week.

Iguanas typically prefer hot climates, ideally no lower than 75 degrees Fahrenheit. But every so often temperatures drop enough — 45F or lower — to essentially force the cold-blooded lizards into a flash hibernation until warmer air returns.

This can cause tree-dwelling Iguanas to fall from branches and onto the ground. Residents in Florida are regularly warned to leave the stiff iguanas alone. Even though the reptiles aren’t moving, they’re still alive, and can recover once the climate suits their scales.

Graig Graziosi has more:

[21 January 2024 14:41 · Katie Hawkinson]

Winter weather kills nearly 90 people in recent days

89 people have died under weather-related circumstances in recent days, according to an updated count by CBS News.

The most deaths continue to be in Tennessee, where winter weather has now killed 25 people, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Association.

[21 January 2024 15:30 · Katie Hawkinson]

Hard freeze, wind chill warnings persist in Southeast and Mid-South

Several states in the southern and mid-southern United States are still under hard freeze and wind chill warnings from the National Weather Service as of Sunday morning.

Much of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama are under hard freeze warnings, while all of Tennessee and most of Kentucky are under a wind chill advisory.

These warnings come as the death toll from winter weather increased overnight, with 25 people dying under weather-related circumstances in Tennessee in recent days.

Wind chill and hard freeze warnings are in effect throughout the South (National Weather Service)