Northeast US expects more snow, wind punishes south

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Parts of the northeastern United States were bracing for what could be very heavy snowfall Tuesday morning after tornadoes and gales hit southern plains regions. The wind killed at least one person in Oklahoma and some Michiganders were facing their sixth straight day without power after last week’s ice storm.

In California, the National Weather Service (NWS) said winter storms will continue to affect the state through Wednesday after a brief break in bad weather on Sunday.

Here is an overview of the weather risks across the country:

TORNADOES

A storm system spawned at least four tornadoes as it passed through central and northeastern Illinois on Monday, including two in the western suburbs of Chicago, authorities said. Preliminary reports suggest damage was limited to downed trees or roof tiles torn from buildings, said Rafal Ogorek, a meteorologist with the NWS office in Chicago.

At least one person was killed and three others injured after a tornado tore through a remote area of ​​western Oklahoma near the town of Cheyenne on Sunday evening, damaging 20 homes and destroying four others, according to Levi Blackketter. Roger Mills County Emergency Manager.

Statewide, Oklahoma authorities have received notices of 55 people with severe weather injuries.

BLOODY CONDITIONS IN THE WEST

Blizzard warnings were issued for the Sierra Nevada mountain range on Monday with more snow and rain coming in California and Nevada.

An avalanche watch was issued for the rural area around Lake Tahoe, where up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow was expected over the next two days in high areas and strong winds that could push waves up to 1.5 meters (5 feet) in the lake, the NWS office in Reno said Monday. State offices in northern Nevada and the Nevada Legislature in Carson City were closed due to inclement weather.

The new round of storms came before parts of California cleared snow from last week’s heavy storm, adding to snow accumulations from a series of “atmospheric rivers” in December and January.

A 90-mile (145-kilometer) stretch of US Highway 395 in California was closed late Monday due to poor visibility, according to state transportation officials. Yosemite National Park has announced it will be closed until mid-week and many roads have been closed in Sequoia National Park. There were cuts or chain requirements on the highways that crossed the Sierra Nevada.

Los Angeles County has declared a cold watch for the valleys and mountains north of Los Angeles and temperatures are expected to be below zero for much of the week. Shelters have been opened for residents without access to warming spaces.

East of Los Angeles, roads to San Bernardino Mountain resorts around Big Bear Lake were closed when it started snowing again.

The northbound lane of Interstate 5, the main freeway connecting north and south along the West Coast, was closed due to bad weather and vehicular accidents about 90 miles (145 kilometers) away. south of the Oregon border. Interstate 80, the main route between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe and Reno, was closed by blizzards.

THUNDERSTORMS IN MICHIGAN AND THE NORTHEAST

A winter storm blanketed parts of the Northeast, including Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, with heavy snowfall expected Monday evening through Tuesday afternoon.

Boston could see 5 inches (13 centimeters) of snow and travel complications Tuesday, according to the weather service. In western Massachusetts, northwest Connecticut and southern Vermont could drop up to 10 inches.

In Michigan, still affected by last week’s ice storm and high winds, some 150,000 customers were still without power Monday evening, according to PowerOutage.us. That was less than the 800,000 that was reached last week, and crews were still working to restore full supply.

Leah Thomas, who lost power Wednesday night at her north Detroit home, regained power Sunday afternoon, only to lose power again Monday at noon.

“It’s very frustrating, very frustrating,” he said. “I’ll hope and cross my fingers that he comes back here soon.”

Without expecting a historic storm for the region, southern New England was bracing for the heaviest snowfall of a previously mild winter.

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Antczak reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press reporters from across the country contributed to this report.