The western United States is experiencing cold weather, rain, and blizzard warnings as a result of a winter storm. Blizzard warnings are in force for the state’s mountain ranges, and the National Weather Service said on Friday that the “cold and hazardous winter storm” might last into Saturday. The Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service tweeted, “Today will be a busy weather day for #SoCal [Southern California] with plenty of heavy rain, snow, wind, & even waterspouts or mini tornadoes.” Just be careful out there.
Although the winter storm is picking up steam in California, it is beginning to weaken in other regions of the United States, including the Midwest and the Great Plains, where it has already left more than 900,000 people without electricity, killed a fireman, and hampered traffic. According to FlightAware.com, about 300 domestic flights were cancelled and over 900 were delayed on Friday. Interstate 5 and other major highways were shut down south of the Oregon border. Weather forecaster Belen De Leon told NBC4 in Los Angeles, “You don’t want to be on the road.” Several parts of California were under flood watches and warnings, and many regions that had previously been struck severely by a series of atmospheric rivers that soaked California in December and January were given evacuation orders. In total, the state received 121 trillion liters of water (32 trillion gallons) from those preceding storms, which resulted in extensive floods, power disruptions, and evacuations. Weak and elderly people are especially worried about the effects of the recent storm and the freezing temperatures. The state of California has the highest rate of homelessness in the United States, and many more individuals live in substandard conditions because they lack reliable shelter or weatherproof housing.
It was icy outside. Terry Stephens, who lives in a trailer with her son, told the Los Angeles Times, “Your bones ache, and you can’t get warm.” Last night, I bundled myself in three blankets, yet I was still cold. Ultimately, it was useless. In regions of California more accustomed to milder climates, the thought of snow and intense cold has been received with shock, humor, and cautions about slippery roads. The Santa Barbara Independent, a local paper, began its weather story by mentioning the extraordinary conditions. A blizzard in Santa Barbara County? The article’s “yep” reflected the shock felt by many locals.
