The Rocky Mountains and western plains were affected by heavy snow and blizzards produced by a powerful storm system that unleashed violent tornadoes in Texas over the weekend.
More than seven million Americans were under winter weather warnings Monday morning and just over 100,000 people were under blizzard warnings, according to Citizen Free Press meteorologist Michael Guy.
Denver and the surrounding areas had heavy snowfall and high winds throughout Sunday.
And one last look at the visible satellite imagery of this powerful winter storm before dark. #COwx pic.twitter.com/v2XMT3ojFg
– NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) March 14, 2021
Colorado Governor’s Office Jared Polis said Sunday that all state government offices in Denver and surrounding counties will be closed Monday due to extreme weather conditions.
State public health and safety facilities, deemed essential, will remain open and essential personnel must go to work, according to a statement from the Colorado Governor’s Office.
Record snowfall
As of midnight Sunday, more than 26 inches of snow was reported at Denver International Airport, according to a Tweet from the Boulder National Weather Service Office. The agency said they would likely be near the final count, as the storm was dissipating.
This makes March 13-14, 2021, the second snowiest on record for the month of March, said Citizen Free Press meteorologist Gene Norman.
It is also among the five largest snowfalls in the city of Denver, according to Citizen Free Press meteorologist Michael Guy.
Cheyenne, Wyoming, had measured 25 inches of snow Sunday afternoon. This sets a new record after two days of snowfall, Norman said. The previous record of 64 centimeters was in November 1979. By Sunday night, another 27.9 centimeters of snow had fallen in the area.
About 8 to 12 inches of snow fell in Boulder, and the city of Estes Park received just over 12 inches.
State government offices in Denver are closed Monday, the Governor’s Office said.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said there is a “high” avalanche threat to the Front Range mountain system as of Monday morning. The heavy and intense snowfall from the current storm will cause large and destructive avalanches at all elevation levels, above and below the tree line, and in “unusual places,” according to the Center.
Denver International Airport runways closed due to blizzard
Due to the snowstorm and poor visibility, the runways at Denver International Airport (DIA) were closed. More than 2,000 flights to and from Denver were canceled this weekend. Delays and cancellations are expected to continue on Monday, according to a statement from the DIA.
The DIA also advises people not to travel by motorized vehicles to the airport due to blizzard conditions that have made Peña Boulevard, the main road to the airport, “impassable with multiple vehicles stranded along the roadways.”
Throughout Colorado, several major highways are also closed, including two stretches of interstates.
Southeast of Denver, Elbert County declared a state of emergency due to worsening weather conditions, he noted. a tweet from the county public information officer.
“Please note that abandoned vehicles that impede snow clearance and rescue operations may be towed or otherwise moved to allow emergency crews to ensure the safety of our citizens,” the tweet reads.
Leadville, Colorado, reported more than 10 inches of snow early Sunday, while the town of Sawpit also received nearly 10 inches of snow, according to total snowfall released by the National Weather Service.
Snow coupled with high winds could mean parts of Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota will have blizzard conditions. This will make travel in those areas nearly impossible, according to Citizen Free Press meteorologist Tyler Mauldin.
Uinta County, Wyoming, could see total snowfall of 12 to 24 inches, the Salt Lake City Weather Service projected. As of Sunday night, it was 6 inches in the lower elevations in the county and just over 13 inches in the mountains.
A winter storm warning was lifted for the western Uinta Mountains and Uinta County, Wyoming.
There is flood concern in the southeast
Meanwhile, flood alerts and warnings were in effect for areas of Kansas and Missouri, while heavy rains affected parts of Nebraska and Iowa.
“Watch for localized flooding in typical flood-prone areas”, wrote on Twitter the Weather Service in Wichita, Kansas.
As the storm system moves east in a day or two, the southeast could face flooding problems as well.
Parts of Alabama and Georgia could see 5 to 10 centimeters of rain Monday and Tuesday.
The Weather Service in Atlanta warned that “multiple rounds” of rain and storms were expected Monday through Thursday, totaling 5 to 7 centimeters of rain.
Tornado Damage Reported in Texas
In Texas, Randall County Sheriff Christopher Forbis warned Saturday night of multiple power lines falling and hail the size of a baseball, shortly after the National Weather Service in Amarillo inform of two simultaneous tornadoes in the area.
On Saturday night, the sheriff said parts of the county suffered “extensive tornado damage,” but no injuries were reported.
There were 40 preliminary reports of severe storms on Saturday, 11 of which were tornadoes, according to Mauldin.
Severe weather threats shifted to Arkansas on Sunday, where afternoon and evening rain and heavy storms were forecast, according to the National Weather Service in Little Rock.
“Damaging winds will remain the main threat, but an isolated tornado cannot be completely ruled out,” reported the Meteorological Service, early Sunday morning.
Authorities said the potential for tornadoes was very low. Wind speeds could reach up to 96 km / h, according to the Weather Service, while parts of the state could see hail 2.54 centimeters in diameter.