Huge winter storm that introduced uncommon snow to elements of California now transferring east
The storm is expected to bring several inches of accumulation along I-95.
Feb 26, 2023 3:16pm ET
6 minutes read
The massive winter storm that has brought infrequent snowfalls to parts of California threatens to do the same on the east coast as it sweeps furiously across the country.
Southern California will finally get some respite from the intense rain and snow on Sunday. The major storm system is now bringing damaging thunderstorms to the Great Plains.
More than 80 million Americans are currently on alert for wind or winter weather.
Western Oklahoma will experience the majority of the severe weather on Sunday, with wind gusts of 80 to 110 miles per hour possible. North Texas and Southeast Kansas are forecast to experience storms with damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.
The storm line will begin in the Texas Panhandle late Sunday afternoon before continuing in parts of Missouri into the overnight hours with a damaging wind threat.
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There will also be torrential rain in the Midwest through Sunday night, turning to a wintry mix through Monday morning, making commuting challenging for those in the Chicago area.
The storm system is expected to whip eastward after lingering on the west coast, dumping several inches of rain and snow in some regions.
In the Great Lakes region, snow is expected in Wisconsin, Michigan and the Northeast. Hundreds of thousands of customers in Michigan are already without power. Utility companies DTE Energy and Consumers Energy said power would be restored ahead of the approaching storm.
On Monday evening and into Tuesday, a mix of snow and winter is likely to result in congestion in cities along the I-95 corridor.
David Swanson/Reuters
The snow deficit in cities like New York City, New Haven, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island and Boston is likely to break away with several inches of snow and slush expected from this storm system. Tuesday morning could be a chaotic drive through the Northeast.
A rare snowstorm warning was issued for Southern California, bringing several feet of snow to the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains. A blanket of snow even reached the Hollywood Hills and the hills around San Francisco.
At one point over the weekend, snow fell at a rate of 2.5 inches per hour in places like Lake Arrowhead, California. Between 2 and 6 feet of snow has fallen in the mountains outside of Los Angeles since Wednesday.
More than 126,000 customers in California were without power on Saturday. More than 2,500 flights were canceled last week in anticipation of the storm.
Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images
Another storm system is moving ashore in northern California later Sunday, bringing more gusty winds and incredible amounts of mountain snow.
Winter warnings are in effect on the west coast from Seattle to Sacramento when the weather picks up. The Sierra Nevada mountain range with the highest elevations will see between 3 and 7 feet of snow.
More waves of rain and snow will roll in elsewhere in California Monday morning.
