By Aleks Phillips
U.S. News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings for eight states as a "multi-day" storm from the Pacific is expected to bring snow and heavy rain to many parts of the western U.S.
Heavy snow is forecast across parts of Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming in the coming days as winter weather is "off to a fast start" across much of the Northwest, Great Basin, and Rockies, meteorologists have said.
In its latest forecast on Friday, the NWS said a "strong atmospheric river is expected to wallop" the Pacific Northwest on Sunday following rain on Friday and Saturday, with coastal regions of Washington and Oregon seeing total rainfall through the weekend of between five and 10 inches.
Read More
Video Shows Man Throwing Snowball in Hawaii as Volcano Covered in Snow3 min read
How California’s Reservoirs Will Change After Atmospheric River Hits3 min read
How Lake Mead, Lake Powell Water Levels Will Change After Atmospheric River3 min read
Atmospheric rivers are narrow channels in the atmosphere that are able to carry a large amount of moisture with them. A strong river is able to carry as much as 15 times the amount of water flowing through the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
...
It will not be the first to hit the West Coast this year: in January, California was battered by a series of deadly storms that brought severe flooding. Thousands of homes were left without power, with thousands of families evacuated.
A winter storm warning has been issued for the Cascades mountain range above an elevation of 2,000 feet in Washington state, with total snow accumulations of two to three feet possible, as well as communities in the central Panhandle Mountains.
Areas above 3,000 feet in Oregon could see 10-30 inches, with 40 inches possible above 4,500 feet, as well as wind gusts of up to 50 miles an hour. Winter storm warnings are also in place for the cities across the Cascades region which are expected to see varying amounts of snow ranging from a few inches to several feet and high wind gusts.
"Travel will be difficult to hazardous due to both heavy snow and blowing snow," the NWS said of the region. "Snow levels are expected to increase by Saturday night and throughout the day on Sunday, leading to heavy rain on top of recent snowfall throughout the Cascades.
"This combination of heavy rain and snowmelt on Sunday will likely produce minor to moderate river flooding."
Heavy snow is also expected to reach mountain ranges in Idaho, Montana and Colorado, with the highest peaks seeing up to three feet of snow.
Warnings are in place for the cities of Centennial and Albany in Wyoming, where 10-20 inches of snow could fall from Friday afternoon onwards. Several inches are anticipated to fall in elevations above 4,000 feet on the Clearwater Mountains of Montana, as well as the lower Clark Fork region.
Between 14 and 28 inches are expected in areas of West Jackson and West Grand Counties above 9,000 feet in Colorado, as well as gusts of 55 miles an hour. Up to two feet is expected in the cities of Columbine, Hahns Peak and Toponas.
Cities in Wasatch Back, Utah, will see as much as 16 inches, as well as areas on the Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau in Arizona above 6,000 feet. The Ruby Mountains and East Humboldt Range of Nevada will see several inches, with more than a foot forecast for areas above 7,000 feet.
The NWS said that elsewhere, "mostly light and localized snowfall" was to be expected in parts of Iowa and Michigan through Friday night, with heavier snow falling over New England on Monday.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines