US Prepares for Snowstorms at Both Ends of the Country: California and the Northeast Will Be Heavily Struck
America is engulfed in blizzards, and the Northeast and California are struggling to survive.
Both ends of the country have seen snowstorms, with the Northeast and California suffering the most. In the Northeast, schools in southern New England were either canceled or opened later than usual owing to heavy overnight snowfall; by daybreak, up to 8 inches of snow had fallen in some localities. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority had power outages that impacted signals on several lines and stations, complicating the morning commute.
Heavy snowfall in San Bernardino County, California,
caused hundreds of drivers to become stranded at higher elevations and many
mountain inhabitants to become trapped inside their houses, prompting the
county to declare an emergency. After being marooned at a science camp for
close to a week, dozens of primary school students were finally bussed out by
the state traffic patrol. Specialized snow trucks were employed by the county
fire department to get to those who required urgent medical attention.
Avalanche warnings were also issued for the wilderness
around Lake Tahoe while blizzard warnings were issued for the Sierra Nevada
range in California and Nevada. Several routes, notably the northbound side of
Interstates 5 and 80, were closed as a result of the storm, including state
offices throughout northern Nevada and the Nevada Legislature in Carson City.
By mid-morning, there had been over 450 aircraft
cancellations and over 650 delays, with most of these incidents occurring in
the Northeast. With significant snowfall predicted until Tuesday afternoon, a
winter storm warning was in effect for sections of the Northeast, including
Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. Despite
this, there were no serious issues reported on the roadways in the Boston
region.
It was anticipated that the snow and rain combination will
keep falling in New York City, making for a hazardous commute. When evening
temperatures were predicted to drop below freezing for much of the week, a cold
weather advisory was issued for the valley and mountain regions to the north of
Los Angeles, and shelters were established for those without access to heat. Up
until Wednesday night, storms were forecast to pass over California, adding to
the already enormous snowpack that had been left behind by a barrage of
"atmospheric rivers" in December and January.
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