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
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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.
Three killed, one injured by downed power line in Oregon
A downed power line killed three people and injured a two-year-old in Portland, Oregon.
Rescuers responded to reports of the downed line Wednesday morning, the Portland Fire and Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves told Oregon Live. Officials found three people and a child on the ground outside of a car when they arrived, the outlet reported.
A fallen branch hit the powerline and sent it crashing into the car, Mr Graves told Oregon Live.
Ground temperatures matched cloud temperatures in a rare moment this week
In a rare event, ground temperatures in the interior of North America were similar to cloud top temperatures, according to Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.
That rarity came amid a blast of arctic air in the Pacific Northwest and midwest earlier this week.
At least 24 dead due to winter weather across the nation in recent days
Officials across the US have reported at least 27 weather-related deaths in recent days as arctic temperatures and heavy snow blow across the nation.
In Portland, Oregon, hyopthermia from the arctic cold and downed trees have killed at least eight people, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports. A downed power line also killed three people and injured a two-year-old in Portland, according to Oregon Live.
And in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, three homeless men have been found dead with suspected hypothermia in the freezing cold streets.
Once wind chills hit below -25F (-31C) — as they did in several states across the country this week — hypothermia can occur within just 15 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
Meanwhile, seven people are dead in Tennessee after extreme winter weather hit the state earlier this week, The Tennesseeanreports.
Driving has also proven particularly dangerous throughout the country.
One man in White County, Arkansas died after crossing the centre lane while driving and crashing into a tree on Sunday, according to police records. Roads throughout the state were unsafe at the time due to snow and ice. Officials in Mississippi said that one person had died while driving on Highway 49 just south of Silver City at around 8 pm local time on Sunday.
Three storm-related deaths were also reported in Erie County, New York, officials told local outlet WIVB. A 64-year-old man died while shovelling snow, while a 57-year-old woman was found dead near her snowblower. A third man died following a hit-and-run car crash on Monday.
Meanwhile, a skier was killed by a 50-foot avalanche in Wyoming on Tuesday, CBS News reports, while the state was facing -40F (-40C) wind chills and winter weather advisories. This also marked the third avalanche-related death in the western US this year.
SEE IT: Downed trees in Oregon following arctic blast
An arctic storm hit Portland, Oregon earlier this week, putting the city underneath a quarter-inch of ice. More than 60,000 people in the state are without power as of Wednesday evening, according to PowerOutage.us, and at least eight people have died under weather-related circumstances in the state.
Winter Storm Indigo to bring snow, ice across country
Winter Storm Indigo, which just hit the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, will now track snow and ice across the US, The Weather Channel reports.
As it moves, the storm could produce snowfall in the midwest and northeast beginning Thursday. The south may see snow and freezing rain as well, The Weather Channel forecasts.
East coast residents from Washington, DC to New York can also expect a few more inches of snow once Indigo reaches them on Thursday evening into Friday.
Brief reprieve from brutal cold temperatures ends today ahead of Arctic Blast return
Wednesday brought a brief reprieve from arctic temperatures before meteorologists predict their return on Thursday.
The National Weather Service has warned that the Northern and Central Plains could experience below-average temperatures from Thursday as the Arctic Blast moves southwards. The cold front will then move into the Southern US on Friday, the weather service added.
It will follow a warmer day in southern Texas and along the Gulf Coast today where temperatures will return to the 60s and 70s by Thursday.
“Although this surge of Arctic air does not look quite as extreme as the first, bitterly cold temperatures are still possible portions the Central Plains this weekend,” the NWS said.
ICYMI: Satellite footage shows lake effect clouds forming over Lake Michigan
Stunning satellite footage from the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University shows lake effect clouds forming over Lake Michigan on Tuesday.
Lake-effect snow falls when cold air from Canada moves across the Great Lakes, forming clouds that can produce two to three inches of snow per hour. Yesterday’s clouds, pictured in the satellite footage, blew over parts of Michigan and western New York, bringing several inches of snow to the region.
ICYMI: New York, Connecticut could see up to 5 inches of snow Friday
Parts of New York — including New York City — and Connecticut could see up to 5 inches of snow Friday, per the National Weather Service (NWS).
1-3 inches of snow are likely, while 4-5 inches is the reasonable worst-case scenario, according to NWS officials.
Meanwhile, another arctic blast will hit the region over the weekend, bringing possible sub-zero wind chill temperatures. Under those conditions, the NWS warns frostbite could occur within just 30 minutes.
ICYMI: Winter storm in Maine exposed 112-year-old shipwreck over the weekend
Amid flooding, snow and freezing rain across the US, treacherous weather in Maine brought a rare glimpse of a 112-year-old shipwreck at Acadia National Park.
The two-masted sailing schooner named “Tay” ran aground on Mount Desert Island in July 1911 when it struck a ledge during a storm, resulting in the death of the ship’s cook, according to an article in the Bar Harbor Record at the time.
The Tay quickly broke into pieces and a large portion of the ship’s cargo was washed ashore by the waves as its Captain I.W. Scott tried unsuccessfully to make it to harbor. But last week, following storms across the country, part of the shipwreck was brought to the surface, washing up on Mount Desert Island’s Sand Beach after being buried for decades.
Martha McHardy has more on the fascinating sight:
Deadly winter storms expose 112-year-old shipwreck
Part of the shipwreck was brought to the surface, washing up on Mount Desert Island’s Sand Beach after being buried for decades
ICYMI: Ground temperatures matched cloud temperatures in a rare moment this week
In a rare event, ground temperatures in the interior of North America were similar to cloud top temperatures, according to Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University.
That rarity came amid a blast of arctic air in the Pacific Northwest and midwest earlier this week.
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