Published: January 26,2017
Winter Storm Leo pushed into the Plains and Midwest midweek after several days of rain and snow in the West, and its combined impacts were blamed for at least five deaths.
The potent winter storm dumped as much as three feet of snow in northern Arizona before moving east; in parts of the Plains, travel was shut down as up to 22 inches of heavy snow fell. Some cities declared snow emergencies and closed schools as a response to the winter storm.
(MORE: Spring 2017 Temperature Outlook)
Here's how Leo impacted each state along its journey.
Wisconsin
Top snowfall total: 10.5 inches, Rock SpringsSnow piled up quickly in parts of Wisconsin Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, which led to numerous accidents in the southern portion of the state, WKOW.com reported. A snow emergency was declared in Madison for Wednesday and Thursday nights because of Leo, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Schools in Madison, Tomah and Viroqua were closed Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
Some residents in snow-starved areas of the state welcomed the wintry blast, as Thomas Haderlein, a member of Homestead High School's ski team in Mequon, told WTMJ-TV.
"Finally, we can have a practice in the snow," he told the station. "It's the most fun we've had all season. We had a huge snowball fight. We look forward to this all year."
Minnesota
Top snowfall total: 11 inches, StewartvilleRoads in southern Minnesota were treacherous Wednesday morning, and in Minneapolis, authorities responded to several crashes on snow-covered roads, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Iowa
Top snowfall total: 14.5 inches, HawardenNumerous accidents were reported Tuesday night in the Sioux City area, and officials expected to continue responding to such reports through Wednesday morning as conditions remained poor, the Sioux City Journal reported. East of Le Mars, a female driver died on icy Highway 3 when she lost control of her car and collided head-on with another vehicle, the report added. The woman's identity has not been released.
"We definitely had some accidents, cars in ditches, with the slick roadways. I think we have taken one person to the hospital with minor injuries since I came on shift a few hours ago," Police Sgt. Jim Cunningham told the Sioux City Journal. "But other than that, just a lot of slipping and sliding with cars in ditches right now and I only expect that to get worse."
Multiple school districts remained on a delay Thursday morning, according to the Fort Dodge Messenger.
Nebraska
Top snowfall total: 22 inches, near Merriman
Parts of western Nebraska got nearly 2 feet of snow from Leo, but in Omaha, it only took a few inches to cause big travel problems Wednesday.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, police were stretched so thin by car crashes that authorities stopped taking property-damage accident reports for a period Wednesday morning. No serious injuries were reported in collisions, the report added.
In eastern Nebraska, some schools started two hours late Wednesday morning, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
At the peak of Leo's impacts on the state, a stretch of Interstate 90 from Kadoka to Chamberlain, South Dakota – spanning more than 100 miles – was closed due to dangerous driving conditions.
Officials issued a snow alert for the city of Sioux Falls Tuesday night as Leo cranked up in the southeastern South Dakota city, which banned parking along some streets where plows needed room to work, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
Sioux Falls schools started late Wednesday morning, as did several other districts in the area, the Argus Leader also reported.
Heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada triggered an avalanche that shut down a highway just west of Lake Tahoe and caught two cars in its path. No one was injured. Officials warned of continuing avalanche danger at all elevations of the Sierra.
In northern Nevada, schools were canceled after more than a half-foot of snow fell near Reno.
Low-elevation snow dusted rural communities just north of Los Angeles while resort communities to the east in the San Bernardino Mountains were digging out from more heavy snow. Many schools in the inland region closed.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a disaster declaration for Washington County due to snow accumulations. A vacant bar in Payette, Idaho, collapsed early Sunday under the weight of snow.
Parts of Arizona felt the effects of Winter Storm Leo, which dropped snow in many areas of northern and eastern parts of the state for days. Public schools in Flagstaff were closed Tuesday because of weather and road conditions, with authorities reporting roads and highways in the Flagstaff area still covered with snow and slick in spots.
Tuesday evening, a 36-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 180 was reopened north of Flagstaff after being closed for more than a day, the AP reported. The area received about three feet of snow from the winter storm.
In this latest round of storms to pound the state, at least four people died, three were missing and others were rescued from raging floodwaters.
Anguished relatives gathered along a creek in Alameda County southeast of San Francisco as searchers looked for 18-year-old Jayda Jenkins, whose car plunged into the rushing waterway after a collision late Saturday. Three days later, her vehicle was recovered, but there was no sign of her inside, the AP reported. Officials said the seat belt had been unfastened and several windows were broken, which may be a sign Jenkins tried to escape.
Deputies said Wednesday that they found clothing that matched the description of what Jenkins was wearing at the time of the crash, NBC Bay Area reported.
"Because I'm her mother, I'm not losing hope. I'm praying that my child is coming home," Denielle Jenkins told the AP.
Two other people remained missing after being reported in waters off Pebble Beach on Saturday. The search along the Monterey Peninsula was suspended.
In Los Angeles, receding stormwater revealed a body in dense vegetation at a regional park in the Harbor City area. The cause of death was not known, but the Fire Department said the body may be that of a man reported missing Sunday night.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Parts of western Nebraska got nearly 2 feet of snow from Leo, but in Omaha, it only took a few inches to cause big travel problems Wednesday.
According to the Omaha World-Herald, police were stretched so thin by car crashes that authorities stopped taking property-damage accident reports for a period Wednesday morning. No serious injuries were reported in collisions, the report added.
In eastern Nebraska, some schools started two hours late Wednesday morning, according to the Omaha World-Herald.
South Dakota
Top snowfall total: 18 inches, PickstownAt the peak of Leo's impacts on the state, a stretch of Interstate 90 from Kadoka to Chamberlain, South Dakota – spanning more than 100 miles – was closed due to dangerous driving conditions.
Officials issued a snow alert for the city of Sioux Falls Tuesday night as Leo cranked up in the southeastern South Dakota city, which banned parking along some streets where plows needed room to work, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.
Sioux Falls schools started late Wednesday morning, as did several other districts in the area, the Argus Leader also reported.
Leo's Snow Causes Problems in West
Two days after a motorist plunged off a winding road on a snowy Southern California mountain, authorities pulled him to safety early Wednesday, according to the AP. The 22-year-old man was found in his vehicle about 75 feet down, near Mount Baldy, the report added. The extent of his injuries weren't immediately known, but the San Bernardino Sun cited a report that said he suffered broken bones.Heavy snow in the Sierra Nevada triggered an avalanche that shut down a highway just west of Lake Tahoe and caught two cars in its path. No one was injured. Officials warned of continuing avalanche danger at all elevations of the Sierra.
In northern Nevada, schools were canceled after more than a half-foot of snow fell near Reno.
Low-elevation snow dusted rural communities just north of Los Angeles while resort communities to the east in the San Bernardino Mountains were digging out from more heavy snow. Many schools in the inland region closed.
Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter signed a disaster declaration for Washington County due to snow accumulations. A vacant bar in Payette, Idaho, collapsed early Sunday under the weight of snow.
Parts of Arizona felt the effects of Winter Storm Leo, which dropped snow in many areas of northern and eastern parts of the state for days. Public schools in Flagstaff were closed Tuesday because of weather and road conditions, with authorities reporting roads and highways in the Flagstaff area still covered with snow and slick in spots.
Tuesday evening, a 36-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 180 was reopened north of Flagstaff after being closed for more than a day, the AP reported. The area received about three feet of snow from the winter storm.
Leo's Warm Side: Deadly California Flooding
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for 50 California counties that were drenched by storms, including Winter Storm Leo, which have caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.In this latest round of storms to pound the state, at least four people died, three were missing and others were rescued from raging floodwaters.
Anguished relatives gathered along a creek in Alameda County southeast of San Francisco as searchers looked for 18-year-old Jayda Jenkins, whose car plunged into the rushing waterway after a collision late Saturday. Three days later, her vehicle was recovered, but there was no sign of her inside, the AP reported. Officials said the seat belt had been unfastened and several windows were broken, which may be a sign Jenkins tried to escape.
Deputies said Wednesday that they found clothing that matched the description of what Jenkins was wearing at the time of the crash, NBC Bay Area reported.
"Because I'm her mother, I'm not losing hope. I'm praying that my child is coming home," Denielle Jenkins told the AP.
Two other people remained missing after being reported in waters off Pebble Beach on Saturday. The search along the Monterey Peninsula was suspended.
In Los Angeles, receding stormwater revealed a body in dense vegetation at a regional park in the Harbor City area. The cause of death was not known, but the Fire Department said the body may be that of a man reported missing Sunday night.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment