January 30, 2008

Wild Winter Weather

Powerful storms, frigid temperatures and fierce winds grip much of the country

By Vickie An

A severe storm system covered a large area of the nation this week, leaving residents from the Pacific Northwest to New England in winter's icy grip. On Tuesday, heavy snowfall, bone-chilling winds, thunderstorms and tornadoes, pounded the Midwest. The massive system knocked out power to thousands of homes in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. In some locations, temperatures dropped as much as 50 degrees in just a few hours.

ERIC JOHNSON—AUSTIN DAILY HERALD/AP Blizzard conditions caused schools, like this one in Austin, Minnesota, to close.

In the Northern Plains, the National Weather Service reported dangerous wind chill levels. In North Dakota, wind chills registered at 54 degrees below zero. "The temperature drop was really spectacular, in a bad way," said Gino Izzi, a meteorologist in Romeoville, Illinois.

By Wednesday, the Northeast was in the deep freeze as well. In Buffalo, New York, blowing snow blinded drivers and fierce winds caused Lake Erie to surge over its eastern shore. Meteorologists posted flood warnings along the Niagara River and Buffalo Harbor.

A Dangerous Big Chill

Across the nation, heavy snow created dangerous road conditions that forced schools and highways to close. Unusually fierce winds produced problems for air travelers, as well. Snow banks reached as high as eight feet in Crested Butte, Colorado, and avalanche warnings were issued in parts of the northwest. "This isn't something we see every year," said Izzi.

By the middle of the week, the system had led to the death of at least five people. In Indiana, thunderstorms killed three when their mobile home was flipped over by powerful gusts of wind, and a fourth died in a car crash. On Tuesday, two of three missing snowmobilers were found in the mountains west of Denver, Colorado. The rescued men said that the third person had died, but the body has not been recovered.

The Forecast: More to Come

Meteorologists expect more snow, sleet and freezing rain to strike the western part of the country later this week. "By Thursday, the next storm will be right on our doorstep," said Jay Breidenbach, of the National Weather Service in Boise, Idaho. "This is quite a storm system."

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