Charlotte Douglas International Airport is feeling impact from a “major nor’easter underway along the Eastern Seaboard,” data shows.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport photo
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is feeling impact from a “major nor’easter” underway along the Eastern Seaboard, data shows.
As of 8:30 a.m. Monday, 152 flights had been cancelled and 15 had been delayed, including more than 80 American Airlines flights, according to FlightAware.
Nationwide, more than 5,600 flights have been cancelled, most of them headed for major airports in New England, tracking shows.
Cancellations are likely to mount during the day due to heavy snow and high winds at airports in the Northeast.
The “historic” storm rapidly intensified over the weekend off the Delaware/New Jersey coastline and it is expected to bring “very heavy snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour” to the region, along with gusts of 40 to 70 mph, the National Weather Service reportedly early Monday.
The heaviest snowfall is expected between 4 a.m. and noon Monday, officials said. High-end estimates could top 30 inches in the Boston area, with 75 mph gusts, forecasters say.
This is a developing story.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 7:21 AM.
Mark Price is a National Reporter for McClatchy News. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology.
The first of two powerful winter storm systems is arriving now. Both will bring heavy snow to the Sierra along with rounds of rain and windy conditions for the Valley and lower Foothills. The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Weather Alert Days for Monday and Tuesday because of snow reaching lower elevations, extended duration of rain, and strong winds. Travel is discouraged on Alert Days because of risky conditions posed by weather on Alert Days.Intense snowfall rates and strong winds will make travel difficult to impossible above 5,000 feet. The snow level will drop as low as 2,500 feet with the best accumulation above 3,000 feet.Wednesday is a KCRA 3 weather Impact Day; conditions will not be as risky, but travel and outdoor activities are likely to be affected. Snow will continue to fall, but the intensity will ease. Long delays are still likely throughout the day. The Valley and Foothills will have stormy weather to deal with each of these days, too. Below is a breakdown of what the KCRA 3 weather team is expecting. SnowMountain snow is in the forecast any time between Sunday night and Wednesday. Snow will be heaviest on Monday but more widespread on Tuesday. During Monday, snow could accumulate at one to two inches per hour. This, combined with strong winds, could create blizzard-like conditions with near-zero visibility. Sunday’s snow level will be around 5,500 feet. By Monday, the snow level will drop to 4,500 feet. It continues dropping to 3,000 feet by Tuesday and bottoms out Wednesday as some snow accumulates as low as 2,000 feet.Donner and Echo Summit could pick up three to five feet of snow between Monday and Wednesday. Similar totals are possible down to 5,000 feet, which includes places like Blue Canyon. The Tahoe Basin should prepare for two to three feet of snow.People living at 4,000 feet should prepare for the possibility of disruptive snowfall and closures next week. A foot of snow is possible at this elevation. Some accumulation is possible as low as 2,500 feet. The KCRA 3 weather team will focus on numbers for lower elevations over the next couple of days.RainRainfall totals will pale in comparison to snow numbers next week. The storm track will bring systems in from the north, where air tends to be dry, rather than from the south, which tends to breed warm, wet storms. There is no atmospheric river connection with next week’s pattern. Rain will arrive spotty at first on Sunday, spreading in from the coast through the afternoon. Expect widespread showers by evening that will persist into Monday morning.The Sacramento Valley will see one to two inches of rain between Sunday night and Wednesday. Lower numbers are forecast for the San Joaquin Valley.The Foothills will see up to two to four inches of rain over three days. Rain totals in these ranges are enough to keep things wet for several days, and there may be some street flooding in poor drainage areas. Creeks, streams and rivers will not flood. WindWhile winds can be expected on both days, the strongest winds will arrive as the second colder system barrels through the regin.The Valley and Foothills may experience wind gusts near 45 mph for a few hours at a time. Sierra wind gusts will peak near 50 mph. Gusts over the Sierra summits could top 100 mph.Wind gusts of 45 mph can make a mess of any yard furniture, décor or trash bins, but major damage is not currently expected.Winds could trigger outages in the Sierra. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The first of two powerful winter storm systems is arriving now. Both will bring heavy snow to the Sierra along with rounds of rain and windy conditions for the Valley and lower Foothills.
The KCRA 3 weather team is issuing Weather Alert Days for Monday and Tuesday because of snow reaching lower elevations, extended duration of rain, and strong winds. Travel is discouraged on Alert Days because of risky conditions posed by weather on Alert Days.
Intense snowfall rates and strong winds will make travel difficult to impossible above 5,000 feet. The snow level will drop as low as 2,500 feet with the best accumulation above 3,000 feet.
Wednesday is a KCRA 3 weather Impact Day; conditions will not be as risky, but travel and outdoor activities are likely to be affected. Snow will continue to fall, but the intensity will ease. Long delays are still likely throughout the day.
The Valley and Foothills will have stormy weather to deal with each of these days, too.
Below is a breakdown of what the KCRA 3 weather team is expecting.
Snow
Mountain snow is in the forecast any time between Sunday night and Wednesday.
Snow will be heaviest on Monday but more widespread on Tuesday. During Monday, snow could accumulate at one to two inches per hour. This, combined with strong winds, could create blizzard-like conditions with near-zero visibility.
Sunday’s snow level will be around 5,500 feet. By Monday, the snow level will drop to 4,500 feet. It continues dropping to 3,000 feet by Tuesday and bottoms out Wednesday as some snow accumulates as low as 2,000 feet.
Donner and Echo Summit could pick up three to five feet of snow between Monday and Wednesday. Similar totals are possible down to 5,000 feet, which includes places like Blue Canyon. The Tahoe Basin should prepare for two to three feet of snow.
People living at 4,000 feet should prepare for the possibility of disruptive snowfall and closures next week. A foot of snow is possible at this elevation.
Some accumulation is possible as low as 2,500 feet. The KCRA 3 weather team will focus on numbers for lower elevations over the next couple of days.
Rain
Rainfall totals will pale in comparison to snow numbers next week.
The storm track will bring systems in from the north, where air tends to be dry, rather than from the south, which tends to breed warm, wet storms.
There is no atmospheric river connection with next week’s pattern.
Rain will arrive spotty at first on Sunday, spreading in from the coast through the afternoon. Expect widespread showers by evening that will persist into Monday morning.
The Sacramento Valley will see one to two inches of rain between Sunday night and Wednesday. Lower numbers are forecast for the San Joaquin Valley.
The Foothills will see up to two to four inches of rain over three days.
Rain totals in these ranges are enough to keep things wet for several days, and there may be some street flooding in poor drainage areas.
Creeks, streams and rivers will not flood.
Wind
While winds can be expected on both days, the strongest winds will arrive as the second colder system barrels through the regin.
The Valley and Foothills may experience wind gusts near 45 mph for a few hours at a time. Sierra wind gusts will peak near 50 mph. Gusts over the Sierra summits could top 100 mph.
Wind gusts of 45 mph can make a mess of any yard furniture, décor or trash bins, but major damage is not currently expected.
For the last few weeks, Blizzard has been going big. Blizzard Showcase brought together the four key titles – Overwatch, Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone – and gave the space to bring their updates, announcements (and some surprises!) in their own ways. It’s all a part of the road to BlizzCon 2026: the year of Blizzard’s 35th anniversary, not to mention the 30th anniversary of Diablo, and the 10th anniversary of Overwatch. This is the perfect space in time to look back at the universes that have brought us together and look forward to the future.
For Blizzard President, Johanna Faries – speaking on the Official Xbox Podcast – the Showcase has been a combination of careful planning and happy serendipity:
“We’ve been really thoughtful about [giving] our players what they’re hoping for, and hopefully delight them and surprise them in some big ways. I think those have landed. And we’ll just continue to sort of prime what we hope to be a very, very big year as we continue on here in 2026.
“Our franchise teams, and our game teams within those franchises, think a lot about, ‘What do we want to do next year? What do we want to do five years from now?’ Maybe, ‘What do we want to do 10 years from now?’ And we’ve organized our thinking and our strategic planning to make sure that comes together in a really thoughtful way. It’s very intentional how we’ve slate planned into the future.
“At the same time, the inorganic part was we sat back well over a year ago, and I said, ‘Look, there’s something bigger going on here, and I think we can marry this. I think we can make this a party on behalf of all of Blizzard Entertainment.’ And hopefully if you’re a fan of Blizzard, you’re gonna feel something bigger than just, ‘Oh, I got what I needed from Overwatch’ or, ‘I got what I needed from Diablo.’”
That idea – that this is a celebration of momentum across Blizzard, not just a series of game announcements – comes with a key extra detail: this is going to be a massive year. Showcase represents what Blizzard has to show us now, but its 2026 is far from over – not least with a return to the legendary BlizzCon later this year.
“Right now, we have a huge swath of announcements that our games have just brought forward. And why I say that is I think we’re pretty excited to say: There’s still BlizzCon coming in this calendar year, right? Imagine what else we’re stacking up.
“We’ve got to execute on that. We’ve got to make sure we’re delivering in a big way. But I think the teams are cooking. They’re very excited to bring some major announcements, maybe some surprises.”
We certainly haven’t seen everything Blizzard, and its games, will have to offer this year – but the wider point of this moment is to set the table for the future of the company. Blizzard is celebrating 35 years of existence by preparing for the next 35 years.
“I think there’s just an energy around this moment and how this is sort of a launching pad for a big future. It’s very fulfilling to be able to come into work and feel busy in that way, pressure in that way, stakes in that way. I think we’re all really proud of being able to try and pull it off. But again, it’s many years in the making.”
As Faries makes clear, that long-term thinking is being applied per-franchise, and per-game – making sure that it’s not just Blizzard’s future being considered, but how each individual title can thrive:
“What do we want the next 35 years to look like? What’s the vision? What’s the direction? We’ve set a lot in motion with respect to that, making sure we’re clear on it, making sure we’re coordinated on it, making sure that every year from this moment forward, there’s sort of a reliability that players can depend on us to launch in big ways, launch in surprising ways. Maybe take some zags!
“Not everything’s going to hit. That’s gaming. But in many ways, let’s understand where we are going – not only as a company, but by franchise, by game, right? I think at minimum, if you were to ask any of our major teams right now, ‘Hey, what’s your plan for the next three-, four-plus years?’, they have a very clear answer.
“I think this is just very much the beginning – I know you often kind of hear that – but I think ’26, in many ways, really represents a long road ahead of us in terms of things to be excited about.”
You can hear much more from Johanna Faries about Blizzard Showcase, BlizzCon, and Blizzard’s games on the Official Xbox Podcast right now
Overwatch narrative lead Miranda Moyer tells us more about The Reign of Talon: the first complete, year-long story arc for Overwatch.
The new narrative launches with immediate global conflict as Talon challenges Overwatch, and will introduce 10 new heroes, each woven directly into the unfolding story.
Get ready for an Overwatch story that keeps you at the edge of your seat, with non-stop action, evolving characters, and plot twists.
Today, Blizzard’s Overwatch Spotlight announced the start of an exciting new story‑driven era for Overwatch, highlighted by a year-long narrative arc called The Reign of Talon, all‑new UI/UX design, and much more. Be sure to check out the full video for all of the details. As an extra treat, we’re joined by Lead Narrative Designer Miranda Moyer to dive deeper into what this new story‑driven chapter means for Overwatch.
For the first time in Overwatch’s history, we’re telling a complete story.
I don’t say that lightly. Over the past decade, Overwatch’s narrative has been about possibility – introductions, hints, and setups. We’ve met heroes, discovered conflicts, and learned just enough to know there was something bigger happening beyond the edges of the screen. But this year, we’re doing something we’ve never done before: telling a story with a clear beginning, middle… and yes, an end.
That means things move. When something happens in the world of Overwatch now, it doesn’t sit untouched. Objectives are set, and met. You’ll see outcomes unfold across seasons. We’re finally seeing payoff for parts of the Overwatch world that you’ve maybe wondered about for years. This evolving story will be brought to life through a variety of mediums – including Hero Trailers, motion comics, and more – so you can experience each chapter in unique ways. All these pieces will be available on our dedicated narrative viewer, organized in chapters that guide you through the year’s epic narrative.
At the center of this year’s Overwatch narrative is a global conflict that’s impossible to ignore. Vendetta has seized control of Talon, overthrowing Doomfist and rejecting the clandestine nature in which he operated. Where Talon once skulked in the shadows, Vendetta believes in acting loudly, decisively, and without restraint. Her goal is explicit: she wants the world, and she believes Overwatch is the only force standing in her way. Because of that, we’re not winding up to conflict: we’re starting with it. Talon strikes early, attempting to remove Overwatch from the equation.
What’s fresh about the way we’re telling this story is how deeply our heroes are embedded in it. Every new character plays a direct role in the narrative. Those new faces are also a great vehicle to continue the stories of established ones. We’re touching so many parts of the world of Overwatch, and the more stories we develop, the more opportunities we’ll have to progress the journeys of heroes both new and longstanding.
One of the biggest highlights for Overwatch this year is the introduction of 10 new heroes. In Season 1, which begins February 10, you’ll meet five of them at once: each with their own narrative thread which helps set the tone for what’s to come.
Domina operates on the edges of Talon’s chaos, not publicly aligned with Vendetta (for fear of unsavory headlines), but more than willing to profit from the destruction she causes.
Emre is caught in a far more dangerous position, coerced into cooperation under the threat of catastrophic loss.
Mizuki finds himself torn between old obligations and the people who have become his family.
Anran enters the fight on Overwatch’s side, driven and connected to the story in deeply personal ways.
And then there’s Jetpack Cat, a long-running meme turned mobile support. She’s worth keeping an eye on, both for the future of her curious tale (tail?), as well as to make sure she isn’t knocking anything off counters.
This year’s narrative is about convergence—threads coming together, tensions peaking, and long-running questions colliding in ways that matter. Both established and new heroes will see movement in their stories, evolving amid this conflict. For Overwatch, this is the most ambitious narrative we’ve taken on. Each piece builds on the last, pushing characters and conflicts forward.
Join us on this new journey, and jump into Season 1 on February 10 and see it unfold for yourself.
Overwatch®
Blizzard Entertainment
☆☆☆☆☆ 2000
★★★★★
Xbox One X Enhanced
Xbox Game Pass
Overwatch® is an always-on and ever-evolving free-to-play, team-based hero shooter game set in an optimistic future, where every match is the ultimate 5v5 or 6v6 battlefield brawl featuring new heroes and maps, different ways to play, and unique cosmetics! Lead the charge, ambush your enemies, or aid your allies as one of Overwatch®’s 40+ distinct heroes. Team up with friends, take them into battle across 25+ futuristic maps inspired by real-world locations, and master multiple unique game modes.
Overwatch® – Season 20: Vendetta
Give the Gift of Vengeance
Embrace the season in a flurry of festivity with a new DPS Hero, Winter Wonderland modes, holiday event, merry Mythics, and more!
Season 20 carves a cold path with Vendetta, the ruthless new melee DPS villain fueled by ambition and revenge. But it’s not all frosty edges—celebrate the holidays in the return of Winter Wonderland! Make some merry Mischief & Magic on a whimsical new wintery map, with a midway mode twist where the props fight back in Mischief & Magic Wonderland. Earn Winter Tokens through the Winter Wonderland event to unlock festive holiday skins for Tracer, Junkrat, and Torbjörn, then step into Stadium for a fresh map with new Heroes, updates, and prizes. Top it all off with Mythic Divine Desperado Cassidy and Orisa’s Mythic Capsule Cannon packing a cascade of cheer, plus more frosty skins as you jingle all the way through Battle Pass tiers. ‘Tis the season to deck your enemies’ halls, claim your vengeance, and unwrap your rewards!
Third down, 5 yards to go, 2 minutes left in the game, near-blizzard raging. And what did New England quarterback Drake Maye do?
He skated for 7 yards and a game-clinching first down in the Patriots’ 10-7 victory in Sunday’s AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High.
In a game that ended with a 7-degree wind chill, the Patriots snowplowed their way to their 12th Super Bowl on a handful of crucial plays, many of them by Maye. He broke out of the pocket for six first downs, including a fourth-down play.
“Those long legs came in handy,” Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs said. “He was running around, stiff-arming guys. He was making plays at a high level. He was being smart. I think the biggest thing in a game like this is just being smart and not turning the ball over.”
The Patriots will now play the winner of Sunday night’s NFC Championship Game between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 in Santa Clara, California.
Maye completed just 10 of 21 passes for 86 yards, and he was sacked five times for 21 yards. But he carried the ball 10 times for 65 yards and ran for the Patriots’ only touchdown — a 6-yard sprint in the second quarter after the Patriots recovered a fumble by Denver QB Jarrett Stidham.
“It wasn’t ideal,” Maye said of the conditions. “But our defense, they’ve been stepping up all playoffs. We’re going to play better. But man, I’m just so proud of this team.”
Compare what Maye did to what the Broncos couldn’t do. They rushed for just 79 yards as a team and saw their season slip-slide away when they failed to get anything going in the second half.
“Tip our hats to New England,” Denver coach Sean Payton said. “It was a hard-fought game. We weren’t able to get it done, and it’s tough, especially in this game.”
A contingent of Patriots fans in Denver shouted “MVP! MVP!” when Maye took hold of the Lamar Hunt Trophy after the game.
“I was just trying to control the football,” Maye said. “What an atmosphere out here. We battled the elements. Love this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them, man. Pats are back, baby.”
The game’s momentum changed with New England’s first drive of the second half. The Patriots ground out 64 yards on 16 plays and took 9:31 off the clock. The key play was Mayes’ 28-yard scramble on third-and-9. The drive ended with a 23-yard field goal by Andy Borregalles, which turned out to be the game-winner.
“Today was just another example of when things kind of change and unfold, our ability to adjust things,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “We did enough things in tough conditions to win the football game.
“When we got that field goal, our defense took it to them, and if they can’t score, it was going to be hard to win the football game, obviously.”
Regarding his quarterback, Vrabel said, “The great thing about Drake is his ability to extend plays. If it’s not there, he gains chunks. He’s done that most of the year.”
In Vrabel’s first season as coach, the Patriots became just the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship scoring 10 points or fewer. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Rams beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC Championship Game.
Vrabel won three Super Bowls as a linebacker for the Patriots. He’s trying to become the first person in NFL history to also win a Super Bowl as a head coach for the same franchise.
“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”
What would you like to say to your players after releasing Ninja Gaiden 4 this year?
Our deepest thanks to everyone who has played the game, from the Master Ninjas who have been supporting the series for a long time, to those who are playing the series for the first time! Our days were spent developing the game so that players can enjoy the series’ signature intensity and a variety of actions to overcome difficult situations, so I’m happy if you experienced even a bit of the game! I think the flavor of the action really comes through the more you play it, so please continue to enjoy the different characteristics of the two Master Ninjas, Yakumo and Ryu! – Hirayama
To everyone who has supported Ninja Gaiden over the years, and to those how have started playing the series from this entry, thank you for playing the game. I enjoy watching your gameplay videos and comments on social media every day. In this game, we aimed for the revival of pure action that transcends time, and the three companies put everything into developing it. The action is really exciting and it’s a stoically made game, so those of you who have played the game please continue to thoroughly study it… and those who haven’t played it yet, I’ll be thrilled if you give this feel good slash action a try! – Nakao
How does it feel to have the game out there after development?
First of all, to be able to deliver a new numbered title in the series after 13 years is something that our entire team is truly happy about. We continuously debated and adjusted the game towards its launch, and once it was released it felt like it passed in an instant so I didn’t feel anything immediately, but as I saw social posts and videos being posted every day, little by little I began to feel joy. – Hirayama
For our development team, there are many members who, during the golden age of slash action games, were players or were involved as developers. So, while we had confidence in the game itself, I felt more nervous and excited than I have ever been before. And my current feeling is of relief, since the action has been well received. – Nakao
Are there any stories about how players have engaged with your game that you’d like to reflect on?
For a long time, we were in the dark while developing this game but seeing everyone playing and reacting to it at gaming events was a big driving force in development, and we made use of it in the final adjustments towards launch. Thank you again for your support! Post-launch, we are checking every single piece of feedback, so please look forward to future in-game updates! – Hirayama
Although I’ve mentioned it several times, we’ve been receiving a lot of feedback that, “the action definitely feels good!”, and it’s the part we’ve put our most effort into, so I am extremely happy that everyone is pleased with it. In this game we’ve taken the big challenge of mixing the best parts of Ninja Gaiden with the best parts of PlatinumGames’ action, so nothing makes me happier than hearing everyone enjoying the action. – Nakao
What is your studio most looking forward to in 2026?
We are really looking forward to everyone playing “The Two Masters,” the additional content currently in development! In addition to new weapons for Yakumo and Ryu, we are planning on an additional story and other replayable content. We’re working hard to deliver it as soon as we can, so please wait a little bit longer! – Hirayama
There are many games coming out next year, and as always, several action games will be released, so as an action game maker we are looking forward to seeing these games. For us, in 2026 we are planning to release additional content for Ninja Gaiden 4, “The Two Masters,” which we are currently hard at work developing. Not only is there content such as a new story, but above all the new weapons for each character will provide a new play experience unlike any of the previous weapons, so we hope you look forward to it! – Nakao
The definitive ninja hack & slash franchise returns with NINJA GAIDEN 4! Embark on a cutting-edge adventure where legacy meets innovation in this high-octane blend of style and no-holds-barred combat.
Return of the Legend
Experience a return to the intense, high-speed combat that established NINJA GAIDEN as a premier action game series. Prepare for a legacy reborn with captivating style for a new generation of players.
Epic Hack and Slash Combat, Evolved
NINJA GAIDEN 4 fuses Team NINJA’s tempered combat philosophy with the stylish, dynamic action gameplay of PlatinumGames. Engage in visually stunning combat that rewards precision and strategy. Use Bloodbind Ninjutsu to transform your weapons and unleash devastation upon your enemies, alongside legacy techniques like the Izuna Drop and Flying Swallow. The legendary Ryu Hayabusa also returns with a revamped yet familiar set of tools to master. With a customizable player experience, NINJA GAIDEN 4 will push action game veterans to their limits while allowing newcomers to enjoy a heart-pounding adventure full of twists and turns.
An Ancient Enemy Returns
An endless rain of miasma hangs over a near-future Tokyo in the wake of an ancient enemy’s resurrection. The fate of the city lies in the hands of young ninja prodigy, Yakumo. Fighting his way through cybernetic ninja soldiers and otherworldly creatures, Yakumo must reconcile a destiny he shares with the legendary Ryu Hayabusa himself and free Tokyo from the ancient curse that brought the city to its knees.
At first glance I thought, “Van Halen blizzard show? Who booked an outside winter show for a band of Van Halen‘s caliber?” You think we get snow early or late here in Michigan… Colorado has us beat. September 20, 1995, Denver got one helluva a snowstorm; the same day as Van Halen’s show at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre.
What Happened?
Denver got 8 inches of snow that evening. Marking the 30th anniversary of show, Sammy Hagar said on his YouTube post, “I’ll never forget looking out and it looked like we were playing for 18,000 snowmen.” He further wrote, Eddie (Van Halen) ended up playing half the show with gloves with the fingertips cut out if you could imagine!”
In the video Sammy thanks the crowd for coming out under the conditions and says that management asked if the band wanted to cancel the show. Hagar responded, “If you can do it, we can do it.” The band kicks into “Poundcake” while Sammy puts on a scarf and collect some bras from ladies in the crowd.
It is snowing pretty heavy. You can see Michael Anthony’s breath. I don’t know how they got through this show. Sammy said that Eddie was wearing gloves with the fingertips cut off through most of the show. They had heaters all over the place on stage.
“Poundcake” Clip from the Van Halen Blizzard Show
“The place was packed and everybody looked like a Q-tip out there. It was no big deal for the audience,” added Michael Anthony.
Donielle Flynn has two kids, two cats, two dogs, and a love of all things rock. She’s been in radio decades and held down top-rated day parts at Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington DC radio stations throughout her tenure. She enjoys writing about rock news, the Detroit community, and she has a series called “The Story Behind” where she researches the history of classic rock songs.
The next season of Overwatch 2 will bring more than the usual new hero and battle pass to the team shooter. Blizzard announced that Season 18 will introduce a new take on the progression system. As they currently stand, the progression numbers feel pretty divorced from the gameplay; this revamp introduces new ways to display your prowess to teammates and foes in matches as well as some welcome changes to how you see and equip your rewards.
The new Progression 2.0 system has overhauled the visual side. For starters, there will be new portrait frames that increase in fanciness every 20 levels, capping at level 60. These Ascended borders will be displayed when you pick your hero for a match. Between the different Ascended frames, players will unlock five tiers of hero badges that also display in Hero Select under your portrait.
Overwatch 2 Hero Badges
(Blizzard)
In addition to the new flash, the Hero Select screen will show your allies a card with your top heroes on it. I doubt anyone will pay too much attention to cards in the Open Queue matches, so this seems like a Competitive-angled addition. It could help make it easy to build a team composition based on the whole group’s strengths, creating a test of your crew’s cooperation ability before the game even starts. Blizzard clarified that in Competitive, opponents won’t be able to see your portrait borders until 10-15 seconds after a match begins, and hero cards won’t be displayed to an enemy until one of you eliminates each other. That means nobody should be able to use your hero card against you in the ban phase.
I’ve almost never thought about the rewards I get for progression stats because it’s unclear when I’ve gotten a new item and I rarely bother searching for them in my cosmetics collections, so having a dedicated progression menu added should place a new focus on tracking how far you’ve gotten with a particular character. The hero-specific rewards on the horizon will be displayed on that page, and already-unlocked items can be equipped directly from that menu. Blizzard is also offering occasional Epic and Legendary loot box freebies as you rise through the ranks for each hero, which is always welcome.
The progression levels will be rewarded retroactively when the season starts. For long-time fans, that means you can expect to see a whole bunch of rewards to browse through when you first log in during Season 18. For new players, there will be more credits and cosmetics available to unlock in the first 20 levels. That first set of 20 levels will also be scaled to be quicker to complete, while later levels will require more time.
The new season kicks off tomorrow, on August 26. Season 18 will also bring a new option for keyboard and mouse controls on console and the permanent addition of watery support hero Wuyang.
MINNEAPOLIS — When it comes to Halloween in Minnesota, you can expect to hear the sounds of ghosts and goblins. You can also expect the sound of lifelong Minnesotans (Gen X or older) collectively reminding the never-not-reminded rest of Minnesota about that one time it snowed a lot on Halloween.
The Halloween Blizzard of 1991 is a story that is brought up year after year as a badge of honor for those who lived through it. Blustery winds and plummeting temperatures on Halloween night made going house-to-house for trick-or-treaters or just about anywhere a challenge.
But Halloween night was just the start.
On the spooky night itself, Minneapolis-St. Paul got just over eight inches of snow. And on the next day? Another 18.5 inches. The day after that another inch fell. And on Nov. 3, a few more tenths of an inch, bringing a whopping 28.4 inches of snow, the biggest single storm still on record.
Former WCCO Meteorologist Paul Huttner remembers the around-the-clock updates on a blustery Nov. 1 morning.
“It came fast and was a shock,” Huttner recalled. “We’re saying that’s going to be more than 20 inches of snow! That’s not really going to happen, right?”
As the Twin Cities woke up, the snow picked up, at times falling two inches an hour. The wet, heavy snow collapsed rooftops and stranded firefighters. Police swapped their squads for snowmobiles to navigate the roads while others used skis to get down the street.
“As a meteorologist, you always want to work the big storm,” Huttner said. “As I saw there that morning, I knew it was huge. I had no idea this would stand as the biggest snowstorm in Twin Cities history as I sit here 30 years later.”
That blizzard left mountains snow on the ground. It melted away about a week later, but we picked up another 14 inches over Thanksgiving. And that snow stuck around until early March.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft gaming universe but there’s not going to be a BlizzCon gathering to celebrate it. So Blizzard is doing the next-best thing by holding a live streaming event.
Blizzard announced that its special stream will start at 1PM ET on Wednesday, November 13. The broadcast will run on Blizzard’s official streaming channels for , and .
There aren’t many details available about what Warcraft fans can expect to see during the livestream except for a special concert celebrating World of Warcraft’s 20th anniversary. Following the stream, Blizzard will broadcast a live concert called World of Warcraft: 20 Years of Music from Switzerland. The 21st Century Orchestra and the choirs Tales of Fantasy, Ardito and the Madrijazz Gospel will perform selected songs from the MMORPG’s iconic soundtrack.
Activision Blizzard announced that it wouldn’t be holding a BlizzCon gathering this year despite WoW’s momentous milestone. Maybe that’s because things have been a little rocky for the game company in the past few years. Microsoft included Activision Blizzard in its round of alongside ZeniMax at the beginning of the year, and in the months after the studio in the industry.
A massive storm system is rolling across the country, threatening at least 38 million people after causing major damage in California. Meteorologist Jim Cantore with The Weather Channel has a look at the forecast.
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Yosemite National Park partly reopened on Sunday after a blizzard that brought as much as 45 inches of snow in some areas and high winds that toppled trees.
The park reopened around noon, with officials urging visitors to certain campsites: “Be prepared for winter camping (bring a shovel!).” Weather officials say the likelihood of another closure in the next week is low.
Although officials expected that 6 to 12 inches of snow could fall in Yosemite Valley — the most popular part of Yosemite National Park — the total turned out to be twice that, at about 25 inches, according to the National Weather Service office in Hanford.
Typically, with some of the more common storms that move through the area, Yosemite sees somewhere between 6 inches and, at the higher end, 18 inches of snow, according to meteorologist Carlos Molina, with the Hanford office.
“This actually was more like two times to almost four times what they would normally get with a more normal storm,” Molina said.
Toward the entrance of the park, 33 inches of snow fell, the meteorologist said. Toward the east entrance, Tuolumne Meadows received 45 inches of snow.
But the closure of the park, Molina said, had more to do with the high winds than the heavy snowfall. Winds hit between 50 and 60 mph during the storm, and visibility “was maybe 10 to 100 feet.”
“A 50- to 60-mile-an-hour wind was actually strong enough to knock down some of the dead trees that Yosemite has right now,” Molina said. “The public was kept out because, as the storm was moving through … they didn’t want anyone in the park to get hurt.”
Although weather officials are expecting clearer conditions on Monday, they are also anticipating more precipitation on Tuesday.
From 3 to 6 inches of additional snow is expected that day.
“It’s going to be the more typical, the more normal, storm that’s going to be passing through Yosemite,” Molina said. “Definitely less than what this storm produced.”
Another storm is forecast to arrive in California closer to Wednesday, Molina said, but that one may affect Southern California more than the northern or central parts of the state.
Clear conditions are expected by Thursday and Friday. Molina said the likelihood of the park closing again “is very low.”
The Ahwahnee on Sunday posted on Facebook that the partial reopening of the park included the historic hotel and “all lodging, dining and retail locations throughout Yosemite Valley.”
Hotel officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Visitors to Yosemite should enter the park via Highway 41/Wawona Road and Highway 140/El Portal Road. Officials said to expect snowy conditions.
Depending on the weather conditions, Big Oak Flat Road, Badger Pass Road and ski area, and Hetch Hetchy Road will reopen on Monday at noon, Yosemite National Park posted on Facebook, along with the Hodgdon Meadow Campground.
A powerful blizzard raged overnight into Saturday in the Sierra Nevada as the biggest storm of the season shut down a long stretch of Interstate-80 in California and gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power.
Up to 10 feet of snow is expected in some areas. The National Weather Service in Reno said late Friday it expects the heaviest snow to arrive after midnight, continuing with blizzard conditions and blowing snow through Saturday that could reduce visibility to one-quarter mile or less.
“High to extreme avalanche danger” is expected in the backcountry through Sunday evening throughout the central Sierra, including the greater Lake Tahoe area, the weather service said.
California authorities on Friday shut down 100 miles of I-80 due to “spin outs, high winds, and low visibility.” They had no estimate when the freeway would reopen from the California-Nevada border just west of Reno to near Emigrant Gap, California.
A lone camper truck moves north bound on the I-80 at the Donner Pass Exit on Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, California.
Andy Barron / AP
Pacific Gas & Electric reported around 10 p.m. Friday that 24,000 households and businesses were without power. More than 25 million people are under winter weather alerts as the storm wallops the area.
A tornado touched down Friday afternoon in Madera County and caused some damage to an elementary school, said Andy Bollenbacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Hanford.
Some of the ski resorts that shut down Friday said they planned to remain closed on Saturday to dig out with an eye on reopening Sunday, but most said they would wait to provide updates Saturday morning.
Palisades Tahoe, the largest resort on the north end of Tahoe and site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, said it hoped to reopen some of the Palisades slopes at the lowest elevation on Saturday but would close all chairlifts for the second day at neighboring Alpine Meadows due to forecasts of “heavy snow and winds over 100 mph.”
“We have had essential personnel on-hill all day, performing control work, maintaining access roads, and digging out chairlifts, but based on current conditions, if we are able to open at all, there will be significant delays,” Palisades Tahoe said Friday on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The storm began barreling into the region on Thursday. A blizzard warning through Sunday morning covers a 300-mile stretch of the mountains.
Workers clear sidewalks with snow blowers during a snowstorm, Friday, March 1, 2024, in Truckee, Calif.
Brooke Hess-Homeier / AP
Some ski lovers raced up to the mountains ahead of the storm.
Daniel Lavely, an avid skier who works at a Reno-area home/construction supply store, was not one of them. He said Friday that he wouldn’t have considered making the hour-drive to ski on his season pass at a Tahoe resort because of the gale-force winds.
But most of his customers Friday seemed to think the storm wouldn’t be as bad as predicted, he said.
“I had one person ask me for a shovel,” Lavely said. “Nobody asked me about a snowblower, which we sold out the last storm about two weeks ago.”
Meteorologists predict as much as 10 feet of snow is possible in the mountains around Lake Tahoe by the weekend, with 3 to 6 feet in the communities on the lake’s shores and more than a foot possible in the valleys on the Sierra’s eastern front, including Reno.
Yosemite National Park closed Friday and officials said it would remain closed through at least noon Sunday.
Driving south along Highway 6 in Clifton, Texas, you pass a Subway, a Sonic and a Dairy Queen, where until a few weeks ago, several employees allegedly sold meth in addition to Blizzards and dipped cones.
According to a press release from the Clifton Police Department, tips started coming in June 2023 that individuals were selling meth in the small town of about 3,500, about an hour and a half south of Fort Worth. Their investigation led them to the local Dairy Queen, giving rise to the name “Operation Blizzard.”
The police department set up undercover drug buys, and officers confirmed meth sales were being made at Dairy Queen and other locations around the town.
With help from the McLennan County SWAT team and two Texas game wardens, Clifton Police executed three search warrants between Jan. 16 and Jan. 26.
They arrested 10 individuals on charges including manufacturing and delivering controlled substances and possession of controlled substances in a drug-free zone, which includes proximity to a public park and preschool.
The press release clarified, “Those individuals are no longer employed there [Dairy Queen] as of this report.”
“We always encourage small businesses in Clifton,” Chief of Police Chris Blanton said in the press release, “however we would encourage these types of entrepreneurs to take your criminal enterprise elsewhere.”
Dairy Queen did not respond to our request for comment. However, Facebook had a lot to say, in addition to the Clifton PD who, while not coordinating drug busts, surely dabble in stand-up comedy:
Last week, Microsoft laid off 1900 video game workers across its various studios. This included cuts at recently acquired Activision Blizzard. And one employee, before being laid off, used a Blizzard company perk to walk away with nearly 10 years of World of Warcraft subscription codes.
Diablo IV’s Strongholds Are A Great Way To Level Up This Season
The video game industry’s terrible 2023, which saw thousands of people laid off across multiple companies, has continued into 2024. As of January 29, according to Kotaku’s layoff tracker, nearly 6,000 cuts have been made at places like Unity, Riot, Bethesda, Twitch, Discord, and Activision Blizzard. One developer at Blizzard realized what was happening and took advantage of a company perk before losing access.
As spotted by PC Gamer, on January 25, the same day the layoffs at Blizzard happened, former product lead Adam Holisky tweeted that once he “realized what was happening” and that he was one of the nearly 2,000 people losing their jobs that day, he made sure to “jump into Keyring and use all the 1-year [pre-paid World of Warcraft] subscription codes” he had yet to activate.
He then shared a screenshot that shows that he doesn’t have to pay for his World of Warcraft subscription until October 14, 2033. That’s one hell of a parting gift and beats a watch or pizza party, that’s for sure.
“Free game time is a well-known employee benefit,” Holisky added on Twitter. “I just never used all the codes I got over the years. It’s nothing sketchy or immoral.”
I reached out to Holisky and he explained to me that Keyring is an internal system at Blizzard where employees can access digital game codes that they “earned for whatever reason.”
He clarified that he had stockpiled these one-year codes while working at Blizzard for nearly five years. Another employee who was laid off at the company tried a similar tactic, but it seems so many others were trying to get their codes before getting laid off that they all crashed the Keyring service.
So Holisky was like Indiana Jones sliding under the door and grabbing his hat at the last second, except the stone door is horrible layoffs causing 1,900 people to be out of work and the hat is a decade of key codes. And while a decade of WoW subscription time is a nice prize, I assume most folks would rather have a job instead.
Winter conditions are causing major travel disruptions in the Northeast. There have been hundreds of flight cancelations Friday, with New York’s LaGuardia Airport and New Jersey’s Newark Airport being the hardest hit. And in Virginia, a small commuter jet made an emergency landing on a snowy highway just minutes after takeoff. Christina Ruffini has the latest.
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