As Brutal Cold Settles Across U.S., Gulf Coast Braces for Rare Winter Storm

As Brutal Cold Settles Across U.S., Gulf Coast Braces for Rare Winter Storm


An intense blast of arctic air is sweeping across much of the United States to start the week, following a storm system off the East Coast that dumped snow over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast over the weekend. But as the those regions dig out from the snow, a rare and significant winter storm will threaten the Gulf Coast states and the Southeast beginning Monday night.

The bitterly cold air mass is affecting the western, central and eastern United States this week, causing temperatures to plunge far below normal for January. On Monday, high temperatures are expected to be 20 to 30 degrees colder than average.

Across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, temperatures are expected to be in the negative teens and single digits. The Rockies, central Plains and Midwest are likely to see highs in the single digits to teens, while the East Coast, New England and the Mid-Atlantic brace for temperatures in the teens and 20s.

The snowstorm that moved through the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday left some of the largest accumulations of the season. Accident, Md., just south of the Pennsylvania border, recorded 14.5 inches. In New York, the largest totals were in the southeast part of the state, north of New York City, with around eight inches in Fahnestock State Park, Highland Mills and Hopewell Junction. Central Park recorded 1.6 inches.

In Washington, D.C., which received a little less than an inch of snow on Sunday, organizers of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s inauguration, moved the swearing-in ceremony indoors for the first time since 1985. “Bitter cold conditions are expected” on Monday, the National Weather Service said, warning that highs in the teens to low 20s were likely, with gusts up to 30 m.p.h. likely bringing wind chills down to single digits and below zero.

Across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, temperatures will only reach the negative teens and single digits. The Rockies, central Plains and Midwest will see highs in the single digits to teens, while New England and the Mid-Atlantic brace for temperatures in the teens and 20s.

The frigid temperatures will feel even more severe because of dangerous wind chills, particularly in the Rockies, northern Plains and Upper Midwest. These areas are forecast to have wind chills as low as 30 to 55 degrees below zero through Tuesday morning, levels that pose a severe risk of frostbite and hypothermia to anyone with exposed skin, the Weather Service warned. Even areas as far south as the south-central Plains and the Ohio Valley will experience subzero wind chills by the middle of the week.

The unusually cold weather is extending into regions less accustomed to harsh winter conditions, including the Gulf Coast and northern Florida. Numerous freeze warnings were in place, as subfreezing morning temperatures are likely to threaten sensitive plants and exposed plumbing. These frigid conditions are expected to persist for the next few days over eastern and southern parts of the country.

In addition to the dangerous cold, the combination of arctic air and a storm system will result in the potential for a rare and significant winter storm over the Gulf Coast states and the Southeast, beginning Monday evening in eastern and southern Texas and spreading eastward along the coast, reaching the Southeast by Tuesday and Wednesday.

The storm is forecast to sweep across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, north Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the Weather Service. Heavy snow is expected along and near the Interstate 10 corridor, while sleet and freezing rain are forecast for parts of southern Texas, southeast Georgia and northern Florida.

These conditions are likely to lead to major travel disruptions, with flight delays and cancellations also anticipated, given these areas are not equipped to handle winter weather, Mr. Chenard added. Strong winds and the weight of snow on tree limbs may bring down power lines and cause sporadic power outages.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings for southern areas of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and northwest Florida. Total snow accumulations over southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana are expected to be between two and six inches.

The bitter cold and winter storm impacts are expected to linger across the Southeast and eastern United States until at least midweek. Dangerous driving conditions and travel disruptions are likely to continue for a few days in the South after the storm clears, Mr. Chenard said, “given the cold air still in place, it might take a little while for things to melt out.”



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Los Angeles Braces For Another Santa Ana Event With Gusts To 100 MPH

Los Angeles Braces For Another Santa Ana Event With Gusts To 100 MPH


As residents impacted by the Eaton and Palisades Fires were slowly returning to their homes — or where their homes used to be — another dangerous Santa Ana wind event is forecast to begin Monday that is expected to bring isolated gusts as high as 100 mph.

Firefighters have continued to benefit from a break in the weather, thanks to low clouds and good humidity levels. Containment of the Palisades Fire has grown to 52% while containment of the Eaton Fire has grown to 81%. But the National Weather Service warned that this week’s expected winds mean that “conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior and rapid fire growth, which would threaten life and property.”

A familiar Red Flag Warning was issued for Los Angeles County from 8 a.m. Monday morning through 2 p.m. Tuesday. Per the NWS, “A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now, or will shortly. Use extreme caution with anything that can spark a wildfire. Residents near wildland interfaces should be prepared to evacuate if a wildfire breaks out.” 

Forecasters took the rare step of issuing a “particularly dangerous situation warning,” an extreme designation beyond a Red Flag Warning, for a large portion of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Sunday afternoon due to damaging Santa Ana winds and very low humidity. That region is outlined in purple below and skirts along the edges of both existing fires.

California Governor Gavin Newsom last week sought to put the designation into star relief last week, noting that such warnings had been issued four times in the past three months. The first preceded the Mountain Fire in Ventura in which 243 structures were destroyed. The second preceded the Franklin Fire in Malibu in December where 20 structures destroyed. The third preceded the Palisades and Eaton Fires which have destroyed close to 15,000 homes and counting. The fourth was the second round of winds last week that fanned those fires.

The particularly dangerous situation warning is in effect from noon Monday until 10 a.m. Tuesday for the Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley including Calabasas and Agoura Hills, Malibu coast, western Santa Monica Mountains recreation area, the Interstate 5 corridor, San Gabriel Valley and north of the 210 Freeway including Altadena and Glendora.

Here’s a portion of the NWS Forecast Discussion:

NE winds will start in the mtns a few hours before dawn. During the morning hours after sunrise the winds will accelerate and move out of the mtns into the vlys and then the coast. Gusts will start increase and will reach warning levels during the day. Max gusts across the csts/vlys will be between 55 and 65 mph and the mtns will see frequent 60 to 70 mph gusts with local ridgetop winds reaching 70 to 90 mph. These winds will be oriented in the typical NE Santa Ana direction. This direction will bring the greatest mtn wave potential to the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Vlys.

The winds will peak Monday evening and overnight and will extend into Tuesday morning before the upper support wanes and the sfc grads begin to relax.

PREDICTED WINDSPEEDS FOR MONDAY EVENING:

Forecasters say Isolated gusts of 80 to 100 mph are expected in most wind-prone mountain locations, such as the San Gabriel, western Santa Monica and Santa Susana Mountains.

And that won’t be the end of it.

Per the NWS:

Gusty offshore winds and widespread very low humidities will continue later Tuesday night through Thursday in much of these same areas. The strongest winds during this period are expected Wednesday night into Thursday morning with gusts in the 40 to 55 mph range. Minimum humidities are forecast to be in the 3 to 13 percent range overall, with very poor overnight recoveries. Due to the potential for continued red flag fire conditions, a Fire Weather Watch is also in effect for most of these areas from late Tuesday evening through Thursday evening.

Officials are urging residents to review their evacuation plans and make sure emergency kits are stocked with needed items should they have to evacuate.

The city of Los Angeles declared that red-flag parking restrictions would go into effect at 8 a.m. Monday and remain in effect until further notice.

Ironically, the latest National Weather Service forecast also posits “a 60 to 70 percent chance of rain next weekend with about 40 percent of the ensembles showing rainfall accumulations over half and inch for most of the coast and valleys.”

That could present yet another challenge to recovery efforts as well as potentially create mudslides in the recent burn scars and, as Los Angeles Public Works Department chief Mark Pestrella warned earlier this week, potentially toxic flows.

“Both areas suffered watershed damage burned to such a significance that we expect massive debris-laden flows when it rains,” he cautioned. “In an event that we have major rain, we do expect that all of the street areas and all of the communities will be impacted by debris flows that could be hazardous to human health. In order to address this, we are developing plans to capture and hold this debris back as much as we can during a rain event.”

Pestrella said his department was “assessing impact to the flood control system” in both the Palisades and Altadena areas. He reported his department is “already deploying labor forces into the area in order to ensure that the flood control system is ready — as well as our street system is ready — as much as possible for that rain event.”

City News Service contributed to this report.



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