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Tag: Storms

  • Deadly California avalanche highlights inherent risks in the backcountry

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    The recovery of skiers killed in the deadliest U.S. avalanche in almost 45 years is dragging out because of what experts say is a prime rule for rescuers: Don’t make yourself a victim.

    A storm that continued lashing California’s remote Sierra Nevada wilderness Thursday meant more avalanches were possible in the backcountry area where authorities said eight people died and one was still missing two days after their group was caught in the deadly slide. Six people survived.

    Rescuers faced the same potential perils that killed the backcountry skiers and professional guides, as they pursued a sport with inherent risks that were compounded by several feet of new snow. Recovery efforts were set to resume Friday.

    Backcountry winter travelers from skiers and snowboarders to snowmobilers and mountaineers lean on avalanche forecasts to help them gauge the danger. Yet conditions quickly shift because of turbulent mountain weather.

    To supplement forecasts or if none is available, experienced skiers and guides will dig a pit in the snow to test how stable it is. They can also search out less-hazardous terrain, such as slopes that are not as steep or that are sheltered from known avalanche routes.

    As the snow from the storm system hitting the Sierras this week piled up, the group of 15 skiers caught in Tuesday’s avalanche were on the last day of a multiday trip and heading for the trailhead.

    “It was, quite likely, very necessary for them to leave the backcountry so their hazard wasn’t increased further,” said Anthony Pavlantos of Utah-based Prival USA, who makes avalanche safety equipment and runs mountain safety programs.

    “What’s really hard to say is like ‘why were they moving?’ You can’t ever start placing blame on events like this because we can all be there.”

    It’s not uncommon for people to venture into the backcountry to ski or snowboard during times of heightened danger: A dangerous storm also means lots of fresh snow that many skiers crave.

    And because fatal accidents are rare, the risk takers most often survive, said Dale Atkins, who has been involved in mountain rescues and avalanche forecasting and research in Colorado for five decades.

    “It’s not about not going; it’s about where and when you go,” Atkins said.

    But Atkins added that coming out of the backcountry unscathed can create a false sense of security in a pursuit where luck – or not enough of it – also plays a role.

    “It’s really easy to be fooled by the snow and avalanches,” he said. “We keep going out even in the worst of storms because that’s what we did last time, and then our luck runs out.”

    Typically the best hope for someone to survive burial in an avalanche is to dig themselves out or be rescued by a companion. That is because slides often occur in remote areas.

    It took rescuers six hours to reach the victims of Tuesday’s avalanche after the first report came in. By comparison, the chances of survival for someone buried for an hour is only about one in 10, Atkins said.

    The surviving skiers in California found three of the victims while they awaited rescue. Authorities haven’t given a detailed account about how they located the other victims.

    A debris field from a major avalanche like the fatal one in California will stretch over a huge area, making it difficult to figure out where someone ends up if they are caught and dragged beneath the surface.

    The first thing to look for is clues such as a glove or ski pole that could reveal a victim’s location, said Anthony Stevens, chief adviser for the search and rescue team in Teton County, Wyoming, home to Grand Teton National Park.

    Skiers in guided groups typically carry transceivers, known as avalanche beacons, that send out signals showing where they are. The devices can also receive other signals, displaying the direction and approximate distance to a victim.

    If that doesn’t work, rescuers can line up and use long, slender poles to probe into the snow in hopes of finding someone, said Ethan Greene, director of the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

    Time is of the essence throughout a rescue, and once someone is found they have to be dug out. The average depth of burial is roughly a meter, or just over 3 feet, Atkins said. And because snow and ice in an avalanche get heavily compacted, digging out someone from that depth requires moving at least a ton of material, he said.

    Rarely will people survive being buried for long. Atkins said he knew of two people who survived being buried 22 and 24 hours respectively following an avalanche in the 1990s in Washington state. A third member of their party did not survive.

    “It’s very unusual for a rescue team to find a buried person alive. But it happens, and that gives us hope,” he said.

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    Associated Press writer Corey Williams in Detroit contributed to this report.

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  • Snow drought helped set the stage for deadly California avalanche, leading to unstable conditions

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    A weekslong “snow drought” in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada helped set the stage for Tuesday’s deadly avalanche, after several feet of new snow fell on an earlier layer that had hardened, making it unstable and easily triggered, experts said.

    The new snow did not have time to bond to the earlier layer before the avalanche near Lake Tahoe killed at least eight backcountry skiers, said Craig Clements, a meteorology professor at San Jose State University, who has conducted avalanche research. Six skiers survived and rescuers were still searching for another one who was still missing on Wednesday.

    The group was on a three-day backcountry trek in the Sierra Nevada on Tuesday morning when they were trapped by the avalanche as a winter storm pummeled the West Coast.

    The dangers generally are highest in the first 24 to 48 hours after a very large snowfall, Clements said, and authorities had issued avalanche warnings.

    Here’s what to know.

    When weather is dry and clear, as it had been in the Sierra Nevada since January, snow crystals change and can become angular or round over time, Clements said.

    If heavy new snow falls on the crystals, the layers often can’t bond and the new snow forms what is called a storm slab over a weaker layer.

    “Because it’s on a mountain, it will slide,” when it’s triggered by any change in the tension above or below, sometimes naturally but also because of people traversing the area, Clements said.

    Authorities have not said what triggered Tuesday’s avalanche.

    If there had been more consistent snowfall throughout the winter, different layers could have bonded more easily, Clements said. But even when a snow slab forms, the danger often only lasts a couple of days until the new snow stabilizes, he said.

    Although climate change can lead to weather extremes that include both drought and heavier precipitation, it’s difficult to say how and whether it will affect avalanches or where they occur, scientists say.

    Clements said this week’s avalanche is fairly typical for California’s Sierra Nevada and he doesn’t believe it can be linked to climate change.

    Avalanches are a mechanism of how much snow falls on weak or stable layers, and this one was “a meteorological phenomenon, not a climate phenomenon,” he said.

    About 3 feet to 6 feet of snow has fallen since Sunday, when the group started its trip. The area was also hit by subfreezing temperatures and gale force winds. The Sierra Avalanche Center said the threat of more avalanches remained Wednesday and left the snowpack unstable and unpredictable.

    Crews found the bodies of eight backcountry skiers near California’s Lake Tahoe and were searching for one more following Tuesday’s avalanche, which authorities say was the nation’s deadliest in nearly half a century.

    Six from the guided tour were rescued six hours after the avalanche.

    Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said Wednesday that investigators would look into the decision to proceed with the trip despite the storm forecast.

    The skiers traveled Sunday to remote huts at 7,600 feet (3,415 meters) in Tahoe National Forest, carrying their own food and supplies. At 6:49 that morning, the Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche watch for the area, indicating that large slides were likely in the next 24 to 48 hours.

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    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • California walloped by winter storm with high winds and heavy rain and snow

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    California was walloped Monday by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

    Millions of Los Angeles County residents faced flash flood warnings as rain pounded the region and people in some areas scarred by last year’s devastating wildfires were under an evacuation warning through Tuesday because of the potential for mud and debris flows.

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered emergency crews and city departments to be ready to respond to any problems.

    The storm wreaked havoc on roadways spanning from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, the California Department of Transportation reported. In Santa Barbara County, a large tree toppled onto US-101, shutting down southbound lanes.

    Forecasters said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, northern Shasta County — including portions of Interstate 5 — and parts of the state’s Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday. The heavy snow, wind and low visibility could also make travel conditions dangerous to near impossible, forecasters added.

    “It has seemed ‘springlike’ for a large part of 2026, but winter is set to show it’s not quite done yet,” the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post urging residents to stay aware of the storm.

    California’s Office of Emergency Services said it was placing fire and rescue personnel and resources in areas most at risk for flooding, mud and debris flows.

    In Southern California, Six Flags Magic Mountain was closed Monday due to the storm, and Knotts Berry Farm amusement park shut its doors early. But the winter weather was celebrated by local ski resorts that have waited weeks for snow.

    Other states on Monday braced for different threatening weather events. Residents in parts of eastern Colorado received warnings that they could be in fire danger due to a combination of abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions. The risks were expected to continue further into the week as gusts up to 60 mph (96 kph) are likely to hit the Colorado eastern plains on Tuesday. Parts of Texas, New Mexico and Kansas were also under red flag warnings.

    The latest storm comes amid a snow drought across much of the American West, with snow cover and depth measuring at the lowest levels scientists have seen in decades. Most states saw half their average precipitation or less in January, though California fared better others due to heavy rains in December.

    It was the first of several days of stormy weather forecast for California. A coastal flood advisory was in effect for San Francisco until Tuesday afternoon, with cooler showers and a chance of hail on Tuesday, while nearby mountains were expecting snow, the National Weather Service in Monterey reported.

    Kashawna McInerny, a Realtor in the mountain community of Wrightwood, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, on Monday said she was still dealing with several tons of rock and debris on her property from Christmas and New Year’s storms that pummeled the community. After the last one, she said she got help trenching part of her side yard to direct stormwater down the street and placed a barrier of metal and wood by a door in hopes of keeping out mud and debris.

    “We’re not panicking yet. At least I’m not,” she said with a laugh.

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    Associated Press writers Amy Taxin from Santa Ana, California, and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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  • California walloped by winter storm with high winds and heavy rain and snow

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    California was walloped Monday by a powerful winter storm carrying treacherous thunderstorms, high winds and heavy snow in mountain areas.

    Millions of Los Angeles County residents faced flash flood warnings as rain pounded the region and people in some areas scarred by last year’s devastating wildfires were under an evacuation warning through Tuesday because of the potential for mud and debris flows.

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered emergency crews and city departments to be ready to respond to any problems.

    The storm wreaked havoc on roadways spanning from Sonoma County to the Sierra Nevada. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 near the Nevada state line due to spinouts and crashes, the California Department of Transportation reported. In Santa Barbara County, a large tree toppled onto US-101, shutting down southbound lanes.

    Forecasters said the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, northern Shasta County — including portions of Interstate 5 — and parts of the state’s Coast Range could see up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) of snow before the storm moves through late Wednesday. The heavy snow, wind and low visibility could also make travel conditions dangerous to near impossible, forecasters added.

    “It has seemed ‘springlike’ for a large part of 2026, but winter is set to show it’s not quite done yet,” the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post urging residents to stay aware of the storm.

    California’s Office of Emergency Services said it was placing fire and rescue personnel and resources in areas most at risk for flooding, mud and debris flows.

    In Southern California, Six Flags Magic Mountain was closed Monday due to the storm, and Knotts Berry Farm amusement park shut its doors early. But the winter weather was celebrated by local ski resorts that have waited weeks for snow.

    Other states on Monday braced for different threatening weather events. Residents in parts of eastern Colorado received warnings that they could be in fire danger due to a combination of abnormally high temperatures, gusty winds and dry conditions. The risks were expected to continue further into the week as gusts up to 60 mph (96 kph) are likely to hit the Colorado eastern plains on Tuesday. Parts of Texas, New Mexico and Kansas were also under red flag warnings.

    The latest storm comes amid a snow drought across much of the American West, with snow cover and depth measuring at the lowest levels scientists have seen in decades. Most states saw half their average precipitation or less in January, though California fared better others due to heavy rains in December.

    It was the first of several days of stormy weather forecast for California. A coastal flood advisory was in effect for San Francisco until Tuesday afternoon, with cooler showers and a chance of hail on Tuesday, while nearby mountains were expecting snow, the National Weather Service in Monterey reported.

    Kashawna McInerny, a Realtor in the mountain community of Wrightwood, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles, on Monday said she was still dealing with several tons of rock and debris on her property from Christmas and New Year’s storms that pummeled the community. After the last one, she said she got help trenching part of her side yard to direct stormwater down the street and placed a barrier of metal and wood by a door in hopes of keeping out mud and debris.

    “We’re not panicking yet. At least I’m not,” she said with a laugh.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Amy Taxin from Santa Ana, California, and Dorany Pineda in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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  • Mississippians near two weeks without power after winter storm

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    OXFORD, Miss. — Nearly two weeks after an ice storm knocked out power to her home, Barbara Bishop still finds herself trying to flip the lights on and looking in her fridge for food that has since spoiled.

    Bishop, 79, and her 85-year-old husband, George Bishop, live in a rural area near Oxford, Mississippi, where ice-coated trees snapped in half, bringing down power lines and making roads nearly impassable.

    After the storm hit, the Bishops took in their son, granddaughter and two children, whose homes lost both power and water.

    The family endured days of bitter cold with nothing but a gas heater to keep them warm. For a few days, they lost water.

    “It’s just been one of those times you just have to grit, grit your teeth and bare it,” Bishop said.

    Nearly 20,000 customers remained without power in northern Mississippi on Friday, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide. That is down from about 180,000 homes and businesses without power in Mississippi shortly after the storm struck late last month.

    Lafayette County, where Oxford is located, had the most remaining outages of any county on Friday, with about 4,200 customers without power, followed by Tippah County with about 3,500. Panola, Yalobusha and Tishomingo counties all had more than 2,000 customers without power.

    After days of bitter cold, temperatures in Oxford reached 70 degrees on Friday, but the chunks of ice still littered the ground in shaded areas.

    Downed trees had been gathered into large piles on the sides of roads, some burned and still smoldering. While much of the worst damage had been cleared, in some places, power lines still hung low over roads and laid strewn about in parking lots. Everywhere, tree limbs dangled precariously.

    Across the street from the Bishops, Russ Jones and his wife have no electricity or water. For days, they used five-gallon buckets filled with water to flush toilets, cooked on their gas stove and stayed warm by their fireplace.

    “It’s been a shock to the system,” Jones said, adding that he and his wife began staying with friends who have power a few days ago.

    On Friday, Jones’ yard was teaming with volunteers from Eight Days of Hope, a nonprofit that responds to natural disasters. The volunteers cleared snapped tree limbs and hauled away a large tree that had fallen in Jones’ backyard.

    The organization arrived days after the storm and has helped dozens of homeowners clean up their yards and patch damaged roofs. It has also served more than 16,000 free meals.

    Jones said it was a relief to know he had one less thing on his plate. When a volunteer handed him a free T-shirt and a blanket for his wife, he held back tears.

    “It’s just beyond anything I could ever imagine,” he said.

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  • It’s one storm after another for much of the US, but the next one’s path is uncertain

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    HOUSTON — HOUSTON (AP) — Winter’s brutal grip on the U.S. East is not letting up, with coming days bringing subfreezing temperatures that will plunge deep into what had been a toasty Florida peninsula and a powerful blizzard forecast that may strike the Atlantic coast.

    Deep cold is forecast to stick around at least into the first week of February. Meteorologists are also watching what could become a “ bomb cyclone ” — a quickly intensifying storm that’s a winter version of a hurricane — forming off the Carolinas Friday night into Saturday.

    “A major winter storm appears to be coming to the Carolinas,” said meteorologist Peter Mullinax of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center.

    That storm could dump snow — at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) with white-out conditions — in the Carolinas, northern Georgia and southern Virginia. After that, it could turn and plow through the Interstate 95 corridor late Saturday into Sunday to dump loads more snow from Washington to Boston, further paralyzing much of the country. Or it could deliver a glancing blow, mostly striking places like Cape Cod.

    Alternatively, it could just veer off harmlessly to sea. Meteorologists and forecast models aren’t yet settling on a single outcome.

    “The confidence is much higher that in the coastal Carolinas and Virginia that there will be significant snowfall this weekend,” said James Belanger, vice president for meteorology at the Weather Channel and its parent company. “The real question is going to be the trajectory it takes” from there.

    Private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former NOAA chief scientist, said for the mid-Atlantic and north it’s a “boom or bust” situation. “If it happens (to go along the coast) it’s going to be a big-time event.”

    On Tuesday forecast models were all over the place, from out to sea to inward toward Philadelphia. By Wednesday morning they started to agree that “we’re likely to see some form of a powerful coastal storm somewhere east of North Carolina, off the Delmarva coast, but they still disagree as to where,” Mullinax said.

    Chances of the storm veering away from the East Coast entirely had diminished Wednesday morning, but hadn’t disappeared altogether, Mullinax said.

    Of all the options, “from D.C. up to New York is probably the most unclear,” Mullinax said. He said a mere 50-mile (80-kilometer) difference in the storm’s center will be critical. AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said it may be hard for the southern mid-Atlantic to avoid some kind of snow, whether a little or a lot.

    This weekend’s storm will differ from the previous storm, which started with moist air from the Pacific that combined with a deep plunge of Arctic air from an elongated polar vortex supplemented by more moisture from the south and east, meteorologists said. The last storm had little wind. This one will generate high winds, even if the snow misses the Washington area, generating gusts that could still reach 40 mph (65 kph), plunging wind chills near subzero Fahrenheit (minus 18 Celsius), Mullinax said.

    “It looks like a pretty strong and explosive storm so everybody is going to have some gusty winds,” Pydynowski said, even inland places that won’t come close to getting snow like Pittsburgh. Strong winds may take daytime temperatures in the teens there down to feeling like they are below zero, he said.

    “This is what we’d consider more of a classic nor’easter,” Belanger said, describing a storm forming around the U.S. Gulf Coast crossing into the Atlantic and going up that coast.

    In this case, one key is warmer-than-normal water in the Gulf of Mexico — partly from human-caused climate change — and the always toasty Atlantic Gulf Stream, said Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist for the nonprofit Climate Central.

    When that happens the storm “pulls in more moisture and it gives it more strength,” she said.

    Once the core of the storm nears the Carolinas its pressure will drop tremendously, enough to qualify for what meteorologists call “bombogenesis” or “a bomb cyclone,” That will give it the effect of a moderate-strength hurricane, including huge winds, but in the winter, Maue and Belanger said.

    If the storm does come ashore, those winds and extra snow could cause massive snow drifts big enough to bury cars, Maue said.

    What is more certain is that the Arctic chill in the Midwest and East will continue through mid-February, with only slight warmups that would still be below normal, meteorologists said.

    And this new weekend storm “is going to take that cold and it’s going to spill right down the heart of the Florida peninsula,” Pydynowski said. Orlando is forecast to go well below freezing and only have a high of 48 F (9 C), smashing temperature records, while even Miami and Key West will flirt with record cold Sunday and Monday, meteorologists said.

    The outlook for Florida was cold enough to raise concerns about damage to the state’s citrus and strawberries.

    “We’re going into a brutally cold period,” Maue said.

    After this weekend storm, long-range models see another one at the end of the first week of February, Maue said. Meteorologists see the East stuck in a pattern of bitter cold and snowstorms because of the plunging Arctic air and warm water.

    East Coast snowstorms don’t happen too often, but “when it happens, it happens in bunches,” said former National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini, who has written meteorology textbooks on winter snowstorms.

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    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • Storm Fern warning as heavy snow to hit 14 states

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    Storm Fern continues to create chaos as heavy snow is expected to blast 14 states through Monday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

    The NWS issued a statement on social media on Sunday, warning that “heavy snow will continue to spread, with rapid accumulations (1—2”/hr).” 

    States Affected by Storm Fern

    The NWS is predicting that the worst of the storm will continue to affect the following states from Monday into Tuesday: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.    

    Connecticut

    Parts of northern Connecticut could get up to 5 inches of snow, and all areas in northwestern Connecticut could see up to 3 inches—bringing the total amount of snow up to 15 inches, with some places seeing up to 20 inches—by Monday evening.

    Massachusetts 

    Parts of central, eastern, northeastern, and southeastern Massachusetts could get between 1 and 5 inches of snow, and parts of western Massachusetts could get between 1 and 3 inches of snow by Monday night, with localized amounts totaling 20 inches in some places. 

    Rhode Island 

    Up to 5 inches of additional snow is forecast to hit northern and southern Rhode Island by Monday night. 

    Kentucky 

    Lewis, Mason, and Robertson counties, and parts of northern Kentucky, could experience blowing snow and “continued hazardous travel” until around noon on Monday. 

    Indiana  

    Parts of central, south central, southeast, southwest, east central, north central, and west central Indiana could get between 6 and 13 inches of snow by Monday morning.

    Ohio   

    Residents of Adams, Scioto, Auglaize, Darke, Hardin, Logan, Mercer, and Shelby counties have been told to expect blowing snow and continued hazardous travel until noon on Monday, and to “consider delaying all travel.“

    New York   

    Northern Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson, and Lewis counties could get up to 7 inches of snow through Monday, into Tuesday morning. The NWS has warned those in affected areas that: “Heavy snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibility.” 

    Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany, and southern Erie counties should expect up to 3 inches of snow, and Niagara, Orleans, northern Erie, and Genesee counties could see similar amounts—with the most falling near Lake Ontario—by Monday night. 

    Monroe county could get up to 3 inches of snow, and Wayne county up to 6 inches by Tuesday morning.

    All of northern New York could get between 3 and 7 inches of snow by Tuesday morning—making the storm total between 7 and 16 inches—and east central New York could get between 1 and 3 inches, bringing storm totals up to 20 inches in some places, until Monday night. 

    Vermont   

    All of Vermont is forecast to get up to 7 inches of snow—bringing the storm total up to around 16 inches—up to 18 inches of snow is possible along the southern spine of the Greens—until early Tuesday morning. 

    Maryland   

    Parts of Maryland could see up to 2 inches and 45 mph winds, bringing blowing snow and hazardous conditions through Monday. 

    Virginia   

    Parts of Virginia could also see between 1 and 2 inches and 45 mph winds through Monday, with the NWS advising people to “stay indoors until conditions improve. If you must go outside, dress in layers.”

    West Virginia   

    Up to 2 inches of snow and 45 mph winds are also expected across parts of West Virginia, meaning people should “consider delaying all travel,” according to the NWS. 

    Maine   

    Parts of southwest Maine could get another 5 inches of snow—bringing the storm total up to 18 inches, with over 20 inches possible along coastal parts of southwest Maine—until Monday night. 

    Interior Waldo, southern Somerset, central Somerset, northern Franklin, and southern Franklin counties could get between 7 and 11 inches of snow by Tuesday morning. The NWS says: “The potential exists for snowbands that will bring periods of locally heavy snowfall, which will lead to rapid snow accumulations and extremely dangerous travel conditions.”

    Portions of Central Highlands, Coastal Down East, Far Eastern, Interior Down East, and Penobscot Valley could see up to 16 inches of accumulated snow (with more possible along the coastline) by Tuesday morning.

    New Hampshire

    The NWS says that central, northern, and southern New Hampshire could also get up to 5 inches of accumulated snow, with “localized amounts” of up to 20 inches expected in southeast New Hampshire, until Monday night.

    Pennsylvania

    Up to 3 inches of snow is expected over northwest, southwest, and western Pennsylvania until around noon on Monday.

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  • US airlines and airports brace for a brutal travel day amid massive winter storm

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    LAS VEGAS — A massive winter storm set the stage for a brutal travel day Sunday, with airlines warning of widespread cancellations and delays at some of the nation’s busiest airports.

    Widespread snow, sleet and freezing rain threatened nearly 180 million people — more than half the U.S. population — in a path stretching from the southern Rocky Mountains to New England, the National Weather Service said Saturday night. After sweeping through the South, forecasters said the storm was expected to move into the Northeast, dumping about 1 to 2 feet (30 to 60 centimeters) of snow from Washington through New York and Boston.

    More than 13,500 flights have been canceled across the U.S. since Saturday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. About 9,600 of those were scheduled for Sunday. Aviation analytics company Cirium says its data shows that Sunday will be the highest cancellation event since the pandemic, with over 29% of all U.S. departing flights axed.

    Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport warned travelers on its website of widespread flight cancellations. Nearly all of its departing flights scheduled for the day — 414 flights, or 97% — have been canceled.

    Significant disruptions were also expected at major airport hubs in Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Philadelphia and Atlanta, home to the nation’s busiest airport, as well as New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

    American Airlines had canceled over 1,400 flights for Sunday, according to FlightAware. Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines each reported about 1,000 cancellations for the day, while United Airlines had more than 800. JetBlue had more than 560 canceled flights, accounting for roughly 70% of its schedule for the day.

    If you’re already at the airport, get in line to speak to a customer service representative. If you’re still at home or at your hotel, call or go online to connect to your airline’s reservations staff. Either way, it helps to also research alternate flights while you wait to talk to an agent.

    Most airlines will rebook you on a later flight for no additional charge, but it depends on the availability of open seats.

    You can, but airlines aren’t required to put you on another carrier’s flight. Some airlines, including most of the biggest carriers, say they can put you on a partner airline, but even then, it can be a hit or miss.

    If your flight was canceled and you no longer want to take the trip, or you’ve found another way to get to your destination, the airline is legally required to refund your money — even if you bought a non-refundable ticket. It doesn’t matter why the flight was canceled.

    The airline might offer you a travel credit, but you are entitled to a full refund. You are also entitled to a refund of any bag fees, seat upgrades or other extras that you didn’t get to use.

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  • Why freezing rain has millions at risk of losing power — and heat

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    ATLANTA — Every morning this week, Newberry Electric Cooperative CEO Keith Avery walks into his office and turns on The Weather Channel. Then he starts making calls, lining up crews and equipment to respond to outages if a forecasted ice storm cripples power across South Carolina.

    Avery has dealt with disasters before. Nearly every one of his 14,000 customers lost power when the remnants of Hurricane Helene tore through in 2024.

    But the approaching ice storm has him even more worried because ice-coated trees and power lines can keep falling long after the storm itself has passed.

    “I hate ice storms,” Avery said. “They are worse than hurricanes.”

    Officials across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. have been sounding the alarm about the potential for freezing rain to wreak havoc on power systems. In the South, especially, losing electricity doesn’t just mean the lights going out. It means losing heat.

    That’s because a majority of homes are heated by electricity in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

    Ice storms, Avery said, are especially punishing because of what happens after they move out: Crews struggle to reach damaged lines on ice-covered roads; cold, wet weather takes a toll on workers; and problems can linger for days as ice-laden branches continue to snap.

    “You get a power line back up and energized, and just as you leave, you hear a loud crack and boom, there’s a tree limb crashing through what you just repaired,” Avery said.

    Texas experienced the worst-case scenario in 2021, when Winter Storm Uri’s freezing temperatures crippled the state’s power grid for five days and led to 246 storm-related deaths, according to the Texas Department of Health Services.

    But experts say Uri’s damage stemmed largely from poorly weatherized power plants and natural gas systems, not downed power lines.

    “The main lesson was to enforce requirements for utilities to be ready for cold weather,” said Georg Rute, CEO of Gridraven, a Texas-based firm that analyzes power system risks for grid operators.

    Rute said utilities have applied lessons from Uri, and while he does not expect a repeat of that kind of grid collapse, he warned that other vulnerabilities remain, including transmission lines tripping during extreme cold.

    Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday gave assurances to Texans about the state’s power grid. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas has said grid conditions are expected to be normal during this weekend’s storm.

    “The ERCOT grid has never been stronger, never been more prepared, and is fully capable of handling this winter storm,” Abbott said.

    The governor added, though, that residents could lose power as ice weighs down power lines and trees fall onto them. But, he said, energy providers are prepositioned to fix any outages, and there’s been an effort to clear trees and branches near power lines in recent years.

    Winter Storm Uri also exposed disparities in how outages affected communities, said Jennifer Laird, a sociology professor at the City University of New York’s Lehman College who studies energy insecurity. Researchers have found that residents in predominantly Hispanic areas experienced more outages, while Black residents were more likely to face outages lasting a day or more.

    Laird said outages expose vulnerabilities people don’t anticipate, from medical equipment that requires electricity to families with infants who rely on refrigeration for breast milk. Younger households and those with lower levels of education, in particular, are less likely to have contingency plans in place, she said.

    “There are lots of ways that we’re dependent on energy that we don’t realize until a crisis hits — and then it really exposes those vulnerabilities,” Laird said.

    Even if this weekend’s storm does not produce significant outages, the financial burden on families could linger for months. About 1 in 6 U.S. households are already behind on their energy bills, and with millions expected to turn up their heaters during the cold snap, that number could rise, Laird said.

    “A month or two after the storm hits, suddenly the bill hits,” she said. “We could see a rise in disconnection notices and disconnections.”

    Utilities in the Southeast have also warned customers to prepare for possible outages. Duke Energy, which serves more than 4.6 million customers in North and South Carolina, urged residents to be ready for multiple days without power. The utility said more than 18,000 workers would be ready to respond once conditions are safe.

    The Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves more than 10 million people across seven states, said it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in weatherization since a 2022 winter storm and has built-in redundancies to reroute power if a line goes down.

    “It takes a lot of snow and ice to down one of those big lines,” TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said.

    ___

    Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writers Travis Loller in Nashville, Tennessee; Gary Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Jamie Stengle in Dallas contributed to this report.

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  • When big snow and ice blow in, most people reach for salt. There are ways to reduce its harms

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    Winter has its fans, but even those who enjoy playing in the snow probably dislike the chore of clearing up after a big storm that dumps several inches or even feet of snow and ice.

    It’s easy to dash to the closest hardware store to grab a bag of salt, but experts say there are a lot of environmental and other factors to consider when tackling all that ice and snow.

    Here’s what to know.

    Rock salt, also known as sodium chloride, is the cheapest and most commonly used product. But it’s not great for the environment and it’s not the most effective option out there.

    “There’s a chart we reference that’s chemical effectiveness at certain temperatures. And really, when you get to about 15 degrees or colder, you can keep applying more and more rock salt and it’s not going to do any more than it already does,” said Martin Tirado, CEO of the Snow and Ice Management Association, a trade group for industry professionals.

    In those conditions, other products — calcium chloride, magnesium chloride — release heat that helps the salt work better, Tirado said.

    The different formulations vary in other ways, too, including how quickly they work, their corrosiveness and how they interact with moisture. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride can cost at least twice as much as rock salt.

    But all contain chlorides that can pollute fresh water, damage shrubs, trees and grass and crumble concrete sidewalks, stoops and driveways.

    Blends and coatings can reduce the corrosive nature and environmental hazards of these salts, experts say.

    Calcium manganese acetate is one of the tamest de-icing products out there, developed specifically to replace rock salt and be more environmentally friendly. It is biodegradable, a corrosion inhibitor, and typically used as a liquid. But it is much more expensive and can still create issues with dissolved oxygen on bodies of water.

    Pamela Bennett, a horticulture professor at Ohio State, said rock salt is the worst for plants. It gets them in two ways: through the roots and through the air.

    Salt percolates through the soil. When plants start to draw in salty water in the spring, that dries roots, leading to dry leaves. Brown tips on leaves indicate the soil might have gotten too salty.

    Salt can also reach plant foliage — in the winter, that’s evergreens — directly when it’s carried by mist and spray. That’s an issue that’s worse on major roads as a lot of traffic moves quickly.

    “When you have a lot of road salt on the highways, cars are splashing and wind blows it. That salt turns into what looks like a burn,” Bennett says.

    Most people walking their dog in snowy places have seen what happens when they walk across a heavy salt treatment — stopping suddenly and lifting a paw as if in pain.

    “Their paw pads get dry or they get little cuts because those crystals are sharp, and then they’re chewing them because that’s the only way they know to make it feel better,” said Alison Manchester, an assistant clinical sciences professor at Cornell University. If they swallow enough salt, it can lead to vomiting, too.

    For some people, animal safety is a strong reason to look to a nonsalt option against ice and snow.

    Abrasives such as gravel and sand can help with grip, so pedestrians and tires are less likely to slip. But they also come with their own problems.

    Sand that runs off into freshwater bodies — lakes, streams and rivers — can kill natural growth, Tirado said.

    Sand can also accumulate in your soil, eventually becoming a problem for plant growth. It can even make a type of concrete when it mixes in clay-heavy soils, experts say.

    Unconventional solutions are out there. You can buy a de-icer that wraps its chlorides in beet juice or beet extract that coats the granules for a variety of benefits, including melting ice faster, working in colder temperatures and staying where it’s put. And a Korean company, Star’s Tech, is working with material taken from invasive starfish to produce a de-icer that it says more slowly releases chloride material and thus avoids some of the corrosion and environmental problems of salt.

    Experts say preparation and strategy can make clearing ice easier. That starts with watching forecasts to see how much snow is expected.

    “People wait until after the storm to start shoveling,” Tirado said. “That’s fine if you’re having 1 to 2 inches. If you start getting 3, 4 or more inches than that, you can’t wait … you need to go out multiple times. That way it keeps the paved surface more clear in a productive and proactive manner.”

    Ground temperature matters. If it’s warmer, you may be able to use less than you think you need. Colder ground temperatures might require more.

    Proper application of whatever you put on your sidewalk or driveway is important, too.

    “The key here is to not use too much and scatter it too much,” said David Orr, director of the Local Roads Program at Cornell. “We also do probably need to get into the habit that it may not be perfectly bare and that can be OK.”

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • 100 vehicles pile up in Michigan crash as snowstorm moves across the country

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    HUDSONVILLE, Mich. — More than 100 vehicles smashed into each other or slid off an interstate in Michigan on Monday as snow fueled by the Great Lakes blanketed the state.

    The massive pileup prompted the Michigan State Police to close both directions of Interstate 196 Monday morning just southwest of Grand Rapids while officials worked to remove all the vehicles, including more than 30 semitrailer trucks. The State Police said there were numerous injuries, but no deaths had been reported.

    Pedro Mata Jr. said he could barely see the cars in front of him as the snow blew across the road while driving 20-25 mph (32-40 kph) before the crash. He was able to stop his pickup safely, but then decided to pull his truck off the road into the median to avoid being hit from behind.

    “It was a little scary just listening to everything, the bangs and booms behind you. I saw what was in front of me. I couldn’t see what was behind me exactly,” Mata said.

    The crash is just the latest impact of the major winter storm moving across the country. The National Weather Service issued warnings about either extremely cold temperatures or the potential for winter storms across several states starting in northern Minnesota and stretching south and east into Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.

    A day earlier, snow fell as far south as the Florida Panhandle and made it harder for football players to hang onto the ball during playoff games in Massachusetts and Chicago. Forecasters warned Monday that freezing temperatures are possible overnight into Tuesday across much of north-central Florida and southeast Georgia.

    The Ottawa County Sheriff’s office in Michigan said multiple crashes and jack-knifed semis were reported along with numerous cars that slid off the road. Stranded motorists were being bused to Hudsonville High School, where they could call for help or arrange a ride.

    Officials expected the road to be closed for several hours during the cleanup.

    One of the companies helping remove the stranded cars, Grand Valley Towing, sent more than a dozen of its trucks to the scene of the chain-reaction crash. Several towing companies responded in the brutally cold weather.

    “We’re trying to get as many vehicles out of there as quickly as possible, so we can get the road opened back up,” manager Jeff Westveld said.

    ___

    Associated Press Writers Julie Walker in New York and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed.

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  • NorCal forecast: Sunday is an Impact Day as rainy weather continues

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    Northern California forecast: Sunday is an Impact Day as rainy weather continues

    Showers gradually work their way back into the region Saturday evening and intensify overnight.

    RIGHT NOW? IF YOU ARE WALKING DOWN K STREET AT THIS VERY MOMENT? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE’VE GOT A NICE BREAK JUST IN TIME FOR DINNER ON THIS SATURDAY EVENING. HOWEVER, IF YOU PLAN TO BE OUT ANY LATER THAN THAT, LET’S SAY MAYBE 10:00, YOU MIGHT HAVE PLANS TO BE OUT AND ABOUT THIS SATURDAY EVENING. EXPECT RAIN TO RETURN. WE MIGHT NOTICE A FEW DROPS OF RAIN AFTER 10:00, AND IT REALLY RAMPS UP IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TOMORROW. SO IF YOU’VE GOT PLANS TO BE OUT TONIGHT, YOU’LL WANT TO CARRY THAT RAINCOAT OUT WITH YOU. BUT TODAY HAS BEEN A PRETTY ACTIVE DAY AROUND THE REGION. BUT AS YOU NOTICE FROM THIS LOOP ON THE SATELLITE IMAGERY THAT THE RAINS HAVE BEEN VERY SPOTTY AND SELECTIVE. THIS IS THE NATURE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THEY’RE VERY HIT AND MISS. THOSE THAT GET HIT GET HIT HARD, AND THOSE THAT GET MISSED ALSO GET MISSED HARD. WE HAD A LINE OF STORMS THAT PARTICULARLY WANTED TO RUN THROUGH STOCKTON ALL THE WAY UP INTO THE FOOTHILLS, SO THERE WERE A LOT OF ELECTRICITY RIGHT IN THIS RANGE RIGHT HERE FROM STOCKTON ALL THE WAY UP TO PLACERVILLE, AND ALSO SOME POCKETS OF HEAVY RAIN. AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE WATCHING SOME SHOWERS LINGER IN IONE, PLYMOUTH. YOU’RE STILL GETTING A GOOD DOWNPOUR A LITTLE FURTHER UP, CLOSER TO 50 PLACERVILLE SHOWERS ARE WINDING DOWN THERE, BUT POLLOCK PINES YOU’RE STILL GETTING SOME PRETTY GOOD HEAVY RAINS AND THAT’S SPREADING OUT INTO SNOW ABOVE 5500FT. SNOW LEVELS ARE BEGINNING TO DROP PRETTY QUICKLY NOW, AND THAT’S ALL BECAUSE THE STORM IS SWUNG IN AND THEN NORTH. WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET. WE’RE WATCHING ANOTHER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE, ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM THAT’S TAILING RIGHT BEHIND IT, AND IT WILL BRING MORE SHOWERS BACK IN OUR REGION THESE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. SO RIGHT NOW, JUST A DRY WINDOW. WE EXPECT SHOWERS TO CLOSE IN ON THE AREA AFTER 10:00 TONIGHT. THEY INTENSIFY OVERNIGHT INTO YOUR SUNDAY MORNING AS WE WALK OUT FOR YOUR SUNDAY MORNING. COULD BE PRETTY WET WITH SOME PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. EXPECT ANOTHER WAVE TO MOVE THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. WE CAN WRITE SUNDAY OFF AS ANOTHER BREEZY AND RAINY ONE WITH A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS THAT ALL MOVES OFF TO THE EAST AND IN THE SIERRA TOMORROW EVENING. BUT THAT’S JUST ANOTHER DRY WINDOW AS ANOTHER WAVE OF MOISTURE ARRIVES FOR YOUR MONDAY MORNING. WE’RE LOOKING AT A WET MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE AND SHOWERS THROUGH THE DAY. ON MONDAY. WE DON’T GET DRY AGAIN UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING, SO THUNDER AND LIGHTNING STILL A POTENTIAL FOR TOMORROW. SPC HAS HIGHLIGHTED ALL OF THE VALLEY AND THE COAST FOR POSSIBLE LIGHTNING STRIKES TOMORROW, AND A POSSIBLE RUMBLE ON MONDAY. HOWEVER, AS THE STORM TURNS A LITTLE MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE, THAT POTENTIAL DOES PULL BACK TO THE TO THE COAST. SO WE’RE GOING TO KEEP TOMORROW AN IMPACT DAY FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE DAYLIGHT HOURS, LIGHTNING DOWNPOURS, GUSTY WINDS POSSIBLE, AND WHERE THESE THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP COULD GET A LITTLE SMALL HAIL AS WELL. AND THE SNOW LEVEL IN THE SIERRA DOES DROP TO ABOUT 5000FT, WHICH MEANS ANYBODY TRAVELING BACK AND FORTH FOR FOR HOLIDAY TRAVELS, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME DANGEROUS CONDITIONS ON THE ROADS THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS. HOW MUCH RAIN ARE WE EXPECTING TO ADD FROM NOW UNTIL MONDAY EVENING, WHEN WE BEGIN TO DRY OUT ANOTHER HALF INCH TO TWO INCHES IN SACRAMENTO. SAME IN YUBA CITY. THE HIGHEST AMOUNT CONTINUES TO BE IN THE FOOTHILLS. PLACERVILLE BLUE CANYON A COUPLE INCHES UP TO FIVE INCHES POSSIBLE IN BLUE CANYON AS WE LOOK OUT FOR SEVEN DAYS IN THE FOOTHILLS. TOMORROW IS AN IMPACT DAY FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL BE POSSIBLE. MONDAY WILL BE SHOWERY AND THEY MIGHT GET AN ADDITIONAL SHOWER ON WEDNESDAY AS A WEAK SYSTEM ROLLS THROUGH. BUT THE END OF THEIR WEEK LOOKING PRETTY GOOD IN THE SIERRA. HEAVY SNOW TOMORROW AND MONDAY AND POSSIBLE DUSTING ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE THEY CLEAR UP FOR THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK. AND HERE IN THE VALLEY, ALL WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IS TOMORROW AND MONDAY WE’LL GET SOME SHOWERS. BUT ON TUESDAY, LIKE I SAID, A WEAK SYSTEM DOES MOVE THROUGH, BUT I DON’T THINK IT WILL IMPACT US AS MUCH. TEMPERATURES FOR US WILL CRUISE IN THE MID 50S, AND WE’

    Northern California forecast: Sunday is an Impact Day as rainy weather continues

    Showers gradually work their way back into the region Saturday evening and intensify overnight.

    Updated: 6:54 PM PST Jan 3, 2026

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Showers gradually work their way back into the region Saturday evening and intensify overnight.By the time we start Sunday, rain will at times be moderate to heavy, and winds will remain breezy. Expect showers throughout the day, along with isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the valley will be in the upper 50s. Temperatures will top out in the mid-40s in the rainy foothills, and in the Sierra–where heavy snow is expected above 5,000 feet–highs will only reach the mid-30s.In the valley and foothills, rain quiets down in the evening but continues as heavy snow in the Sierra. This is another lull before another storm arrives early Monday morning.The Monday morning commute will likely be wet and breezy. Monday’s storms will be more showery in nature and carry less thunderstorm potential. Rain winds down again Monday night, and weather will be drier starting Tuesday, though precipitation chances will linger in the foothills and Sierra through Wednesday.

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

    Showers gradually work their way back into the region Saturday evening and intensify overnight.

    By the time we start Sunday, rain will at times be moderate to heavy, and winds will remain breezy. Expect showers throughout the day, along with isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the valley will be in the upper 50s. Temperatures will top out in the mid-40s in the rainy foothills, and in the Sierra–where heavy snow is expected above 5,000 feet–highs will only reach the mid-30s.

    In the valley and foothills, rain quiets down in the evening but continues as heavy snow in the Sierra. This is another lull before another storm arrives early Monday morning.

    The Monday morning commute will likely be wet and breezy. Monday’s storms will be more showery in nature and carry less thunderstorm potential. Rain winds down again Monday night, and weather will be drier starting Tuesday, though precipitation chances will linger in the foothills and Sierra through Wednesday.

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  • Roses in the rain? New Year’s Day parade in Pasadena gets wet forecast

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    For the first time in 20 years, rain is expected to intrude on the Rose Parade in Southern California, a venerable New Year’s Day event that attracts thousands of spectators and is watched by millions more on TV.

    Storms caused Christmas week flooding, mudslides and other miseries across the region. Now comes a 100% chance of rain Thursday in Pasadena, the National Weather Service said.

    “We try not to say that word around here,” joked Candy Carlson, a spokesperson for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the organization behind the 137th Rose Parade, which precedes the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff game.

    Arctic air is meanwhile expected to blanket much of the eastern two-thirds of the country, the weather service said.

    In New York City, forecasters predict temperatures in the low 30s Fahrenheit (around zero degrees Celsius), which is not unusual, when the ball drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Light rain is possible in Las Vegas, where several casinos will be shooting fireworks from rooftops.

    During Nashville’s Big Bash, a New Year’s Eve event at a park, temperatures will be in the low 30s when an illuminated music note drops at midnight in the Tennessee city. New Orleans will be in the mid-40s Fahrenheit (around 7 degrees Celsius) for a free concert and fireworks along the Mississippi River.

    At the Rose Parade, it has rained only 10 times in the parade’s history — and not since 2006, Carlson said.

    Rare wet weather is unlikely to keep floats, marching bands, entertainers and others from participating. Carlson said people riding on floats will have rain gear if necessary, and tow trucks will be standing by in case of mechanical problems.

    Spectators will need to prepare, too. Umbrellas are not allowed in parade seating areas that require tickets, though the ban doesn’t cover people who simply line up along the nearly 6-mile (10-kilometer) route. Curbside camping — no tents — begins at noon Wednesday. Rain also is predicted that day.

    “Last year’s parade theme was ‘Best Day Ever!’ and six days later it was the worst,” said Lisa Derderian, spokesperson for the city of Pasadena, referring to the devastating Eaton wildfire in Los Angeles County. “We want to start the new year on a high note. Hopefully Mother Nature cooperates with the weather.”

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  • Winter storm brings blizzard conditions and dangerous wind chills

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    A potent winter storm threatened blizzard-like conditions, treacherous travel and power outages in parts of the Upper Midwest as other areas of the country braced Monday for plunging temperatures, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice, and rain.

    The snow and strengthening winds began spreading Sunday across the northern Plains, where the National Weather Service warned of whiteout conditions and possible blizzard conditions that could make travel impossible in some areas. Snowfall totals were expected to exceed a foot (30 centimeters) across parts of the upper Great Lakes and as much as double that along the south shore of Lake Superior.

    “Part of the storm system is getting heavy snow, other parts of the storm along the cold front are getting higher winds and much colder temperatures as the front passes,” said Bob Oravec, a lead forecaster at the National Weather Service office in College Park, Maryland. “They’re all related to each other — different parts of the country will be receiving different effects from this storm.”

    The weather service warned of “dangerous wind chills” as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 34.4 degrees Celsius) in North Dakota and into Minnesota from Sunday night into Monday.

    In the South, meteorologists warned severe thunderstorms are likely to signal the arrival of a sharp cold front — bringing a sudden drop in temperatures and strong north winds that will abruptly end days of record warmth throughout that region.

    The high temperature in Atlanta was around 72 F (22 C) on Sunday, continuing a warming trend after climbing to 78 F (about 26 C) to shatter the city’s record high temperature for Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said. Numerous other record high temperatures were seen across the South and Midwest on the days after Christmas.

    But the incoming cold front was expected to drop rain on much of the South late Sunday night into Monday, and a big drop in temperatures Tuesday. Forecasters said the low temperature in Atlanta to 25 F (minus 3.9 C) by early Tuesday morning. The colder temperatures in the South are expected to persist through New Year’s Day.

    In Dallas, Sunday temperatures in the lower 80s (upper 20s C) could drop down to the mid 40s (single digits Celsius). In Little Rock, high temperatures of around 70 (21 C) on Sunday could drop down to highs in the mid-30s on Monday.

    “We’re definitely going back towards a more winter pattern,” Oravec said.

    The storm is expected to intensify as it moves east, drawing energy from a sharp clash between frigid air plunging south from Canada and unusually warm air that has lingered across the southern United States, according to the National Weather Service.

    ___

    Willingham reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Martin reported from Kennesaw, Georgia.

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  • Rain-soaked California still at risk of floods and high surf

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    WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. — A strong storm system that brought relentless winds, rain and snowfall to California this week was expected to ease Friday, but there was still a risk of high surf along the coast, flash flooding near Los Angeles and avalanches in the Sierra Nevada.

    Waves near the San Francisco Bay Area could reach up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) Friday, parts of Southern California were at risk of flooding, and avalanches could hit the Lake Tahoe area, officials warned. Residents were told to be ready to evacuate the mountain town of Wrightwood about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles because of mudslides.

    Atmospheric rivers carried massive plumes of moisture from the tropics during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. The storms were blamed for at least two deaths earlier in the week.

    The system brought the wettest Christmas season to downtown Los Angeles in 54 years, the National Weather Service said.

    Roads in the 5,000-resident town of Wrightwood were covered in rocks, debris and thick mud on Thursday. With power out, a gas station and coffee shop running on generators were serving as hubs for residents and visitors.

    “It’s really a crazy Christmas,” said Jill Jenkins, who was spending the holiday with her 13-year-old grandson, Hunter Lopiccolo.

    Lopiccolo said the family almost evacuated the previous day, when water washed away a chunk of their backyard. But they decided to stay and still celebrated the holiday. Lopiccolo got a new snowboard and e-bike.

    “We just played card games all night with candles and flashlights,” he said.

    Davey Schneider hiked a mile and a half (1.6 kilometers) through rain and floodwater up to his shins from his Wrightwood residence Wednesday to rescue cats from his grandfather’s house.

    “I wanted to help them out because I wasn’t confident that they were going to live,” Schneider said Thursday. “Fortunately, they all lived. They’re all okay — just a little bit scared.”

    Arlene Corte said roads in town turned into rivers, but her house was not damaged.

    “It could be a whole lot worse,” she said. “We’re here talking.”

    With more rain on the way, more than 150 firefighters were stationed in the area, said San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Shawn Millerick.

    “We’re ready,” he said. “It’s all hands on deck at this point.”

    A falling tree killed a San Diego man Wednesday, news outlets reported. Farther north, a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died in what appeared to be a weather-related crash.

    Areas along the coast, including Malibu, were under a flood watch until Friday afternoon, and wind and flood advisories were issued for much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters), with even more in the mountains, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said.

    More wind and heavy snow was expected in the Sierra Nevada, where gusts created “near white-out conditions” and made mountain pass travel treacherous.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom declared emergencies in six counties to allow state assistance.

    The state deployed resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard was on standby.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Oakland, California, and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.

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  • Storm system threatens more rainfall Christmas Day over waterlogged Southern California

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    LOS ANGELES — Rain from a powerful winter storm that swept across Southern California has begun to taper off, but another storm system was on the horizon for Christmas Day with showers and possible thunderstorms.

    Forecasters said Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned of flash flooding and mudslides. Areas scorched by wildfires in January saw evacuation warnings as heavy rains and gusty winds brought mudslides and debris flows.

    Many flood areas were in burn scar zones, which were stripped of vegetation by fire and are less able to absorb water.

    San Bernardino County firefighters said they rescued people trapped in cars Wednesday when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. It was not immediately clear how many were rescued.

    Firefighters also went door to door to check homes, and the area was under a shelter-in-place order, officials said. An evacuation order was issued for Lytle Creek, also in the San Gabriel Mountains.

    Travis Guenther and his family were trapped in Lytle Creek after roaring waters washed out the only bridge in or out of their neighborhood. More than a dozen neighbors took shelter at a community center or found hotel rooms.

    “Everybody that left to go to work this morning is stuck,” he said. “Half the families are here, and half the families are on the other side of the creek.”

    Guenther said he had plenty of supplies and was coordinating with other in the community of about 280 people. Two nurses who live on his street offered to help anyone who may need medical attention.

    Janice Quick, president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce and a resident of the mountain town for 45 years, said a wildfire in 2024 left much of the terrain without tree coverage.

    The storm also stranded Dillan Brown, his wife and 14-month-old daughter at a rented cabin in Wrightwood with almost no food and only enough diapers for about another day. Roads leading off the mountain and to a grocery store became blocked by rocks and debris, Brown said.

    A resident learned of his situation and posted a call for help in a Facebook group. In less than an hour, neighbors showed up with more than enough supplies to ride out the storm, including bread, vegetables, milk, diapers and wipes.

    “I think we’re a little sad and upset that we’re not going to be home with our families,” Brown said, but the “kindness shown is definitely an overwhelming feeling.”

    Residents around burn scar zones from the Airport Fire in Orange County were also ordered to evacuate.

    Areas along the coast including Malibu were under flood warnings until Wednesday evening, and wind and flood advisories were issued for much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Several roads including a part of Interstate 5 near the Burbank Airport closed due to flooding.

    The storms were the result of multiple atmospheric rivers carrying massive plumes of moisture from the tropics during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

    Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) with even more in the mountains, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said.

    Heavy snow and gusts created “near white-out conditions” in parts of the Sierra Nevada and made mountain pass trave treacherous. Officials said there was a “considerable” avalanche risk around Lake Tahoe, and a winter storm warning was in effect until Friday morning.

    Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties to allow state assistance in storm response.

    The state deployed emergency resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard was on standby.

    The California Highway Patrol reported a seemingly weather-related crash south of Sacramento in which a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died. James Caravallo, who was with the agency for 19 years, was apparently traveling at an unsafe speed, lost control on a wet road and crashed into a power pole, CHP Officer Michael Harper said via email.

    ___

    Associated Press writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento, Jessica Hill in Las Vegas and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.

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  • Neil Frank, former hurricane center chief who improved public outreach on storms, has died

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    Neil Frank, a former head of the National Hurricane Center credited with increasing the country’s readiness for major storms, died Wednesday. He was 94.

    Frank led the hurricane center from 1974 to 1987, the longest-serving director in its history.

    “He gets tremendous credit for the being the first one to go out of his way and reach out and make the connection between the National Hurricane Center and the emergency managers,” said meteorologist Max Mayfield, who served as the hurricane center’s director from 2000-2007.

    “He taught me that it’s not all about the forecast,” Mayfield said. “A perfect forecast is no good if people don’t take immediate action.”

    Frank’s son, Ron Frank, said in a Facebook post that his father died at home a few days after going into hospice care.

    KHOU-TV in Houston, where Frank spent two decades as chief meteorologist after leaving the hurricane center, first reported his death. The station referred an Associated Press call for comment to CBS, whose spokeswoman declined comment but directed the AP to Ron Frank’s post.

    When Frank started at the National Hurricane Center, advances with weather satellites were helping forecasters to better predict the location and direction of a storm. Frank worked to make that information more accessible to residents in hurricane-vulnerable areas, said Mayfield. He also regularly appeared on television to give updates on storms and advice on staying safe.

    “He was so passionate and you could just feel his enthusiasm but also sense of warning — that he wanted people to take action,” Mayfield said. “He was very animated, spoke with his hands a lot. And if you’d play it on fast-forward, he’d look like a juggler sometimes.”

    Frank was skeptical that human actions, such as the burning of oil, gas and coal, cause climate change, Mayfield said. In a video posted to YouTube titled “Is Climate Change Real?” he instead attributed warming to the planet’s natural and cyclical weather patterns. Scientists today overwhelmingly agree that burning of fossil fuels is the primary driver of planet-warming emissions that are causing more frequent, costly and deadly extreme weather around the world.

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • More than 100 homes damaged by tornado near Houston

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    HOUSTON — More than 100 homes have been damaged after a tornado touched down in a residential area outside Houston, authorities in Texas said Monday.

    No injuries were reported.

    Photos and drone video posted on Facebook by the Harris County Precinct 4 constable showed roofs with shingles ripped off. Some debris blocked roads.

    The damage affected the Memorial Northwest neighborhood, according to the office of Mark Herman, the constable.

    The Houston Fire Department dispatched five members of its saw team to cut up and remove toppled trees, spokesperson Rustin Rawlings said.

    The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for southeastern Texas, including Houston, until 1 a.m. Tuesday. It also issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of southeastern Texas.

    ___

    This story has been corrected to show that Herman is constable of Harris County Precinct 4, not Precinct 3.

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  • Alaska Native villages have few options and little US help as climate change devours their land

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    JUNEAU, Alaska — Storms that battered Alaska’s western coast this fall have brought renewed attention to low-lying Indigenous villages left increasingly vulnerable by climate change — and revived questions about their sustainability in a region being reshaped by frequent flooding, thawing permafrost and landscape-devouring erosion.

    The onset of winter has slowed emergency repair and cleanup work after two October storms, including the remnants of Typhoon Halong, slammed dozens of communities. Some residents from the hardest-hit villages, Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, could be displaced for months and worry what their futures hold.

    Kwigillingok already was pursuing relocation before the latest storm, but that can take decades, with no centralized coordination and little funding. Moves by the Trump administration to cut grants aimed at better protecting communities against climate threats have added another layer of uncertainty.

    Still, the hope is to try to buy villages time to evaluate next steps by reinforcing rebuilt infrastructure or putting in place pilings so homes can be elevated, said Bryan Fisher, the state’s emergency management director.

    “Where we can support that increased resilience to buy that time, we’re going to do that,” he said.

    Alaska is warming faster than the global average. A report released last year by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium found 144 Native communities face threats from erosion, flooding, thawing permafrost or a combination.

    Coastal populations are particularly vulnerable, climate scientist John Walsh said. Less Arctic sea ice means more open water, allowing storm-driven waves to do damage. Thawing permafrost invites more rapid coastal erosion. Waves hitting permafrost bounce like water off a concrete wall, he said, but when permafrost thaws, the loose soil washes away more easily.

    Wind and storm surge from the remnants of Halong consumed dozens of feet of shoreline in Quinhagak, disturbing a culturally significant archaeological site. Quinhagak, like Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, is near the Bering Sea.

    Just four times since 1970 has an ex-typhoon hit the Bering Sea coast north of the Pribilof Islands, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness. Three of those have been since 2022, starting with the remnants of Merbok that year.

    The damage caused by ex-typhoon Halong was the worst Fisher said he has seen in his roughly 30 years in emergency management. About 700 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, estimates suggest. Some washed away with people inside and were carried for miles. Kipnuk and Kwigillingok — no strangers to flooding and home to around 1,100 people — were devastated. One person died, and two remain missing.

    At-risk communities can reinforce existing infrastructure or fortify shoreline; move infrastructure to higher ground in what is known as managed retreat; or relocate entirely. The needs are enormous — $4.3 billion over 50 years to protect infrastructure in Native communities from climate threats, according to the health consortium report, though that estimate dates to 2020. A lack of resources and coordination has impeded progress, the report found.

    Simply announcing plans to relocate can leave a community ineligible for funding for new infrastructure at their existing site, and government policies can limit investments at a new site if people aren’t living there yet, the report said.

    It took decades and an estimated $160 million for the roughly 300 residents of Newtok in western Alaska to move 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) to their new village of Mertarvik. Newtok was one of the first Alaska Native communities to fully relocate, but others are considering or pursuing it. In Washington and Louisiana, climate change has been a driving force behind relocation efforts by some tribes.

    But many villages, including Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, “don’t have that kind of time,” said Sheryl Musgrove, director of the Alaska Climate Justice Program at the Alaska Institute for Justice. The two are among 10 tribal communities her group has been working with as they navigate climate-adaptation decisions.

    Kipnuk before the last storm had been planning a protect-in-place strategy but hasn’t decided what to do now, she said.

    Musgrove hopes that in the aftermath, there will be changes at the federal level to help communities in peril. There is no federal agency, for example, tasked with coordinating relocation. That leaves small communities trying to navigate myriad agencies and programs, Musgrove said.

    “I guess I’m just really hopeful that this might be the beginning of a change because I think that there is a lot of attention to what happened here,” she said.

    With money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2022 created the Voluntary Community-Driven Relocation Program and committed $115 million for 11 tribes’ relocation efforts, including $25 million each for Newtok and Napakiak. In Napakiak, most of the infrastructure is expected to be destroyed by 2030, and the community is moving away from the banks of the Kuskokwim River.

    That is not enough to move a village, and additional funding opportunities are scattered across other agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

    Sustained federal support is uncertain as the Trump administration cuts programs related to climate change and disaster resilience. Trump in May proposed cutting $617 million from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ tribal self-governance and communities programs but did not specify which programs.

    The Department of Interior said in an email that new grant funding is “under review as part of a broader effort to improve federal spending accountability,” but that the Bureau of Indian Affairs was “helping tribes lay the groundwork for future implementation when funding pathways are clarified.”

    Other federal money that could help Alaska villages has already been cut. Federal Emergency Management Agency awards to Newtok and Kwigillingok for projects related to relocation didn’t arrive before the administration in April halted billions of dollars in unpaid grants.

    Trump has also stopped approving state and tribal requests for hazard mitigation funding, a typical add-on that accompanies federal support after major disasters.

    Even the data that villages need to assess how climate change is affecting them are at risk. The Trump administration has removed information related to climate change from government websites and has fired scientists in charge of the nation’s congressionally mandated climate assessment reports.

    ___

    Aoun Angueira reported from San Diego.

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  • Warming Weekend Trend Continues Ahead of Soggy Workweek Start in Central Florida

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    Warming Weekend Trend Continues Ahead of Soggy Workweek Start in Central Florida

    Warming Weekend Trend Continues Ahead of Soggy Workweek Start in Central Florida

    Updated: 6:59 PM EDT Nov 1, 2025

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    Warming Weekend Trend Continues Ahead of Soggy Workweek Start in Central FloridaDefinitely warmer outdoors compared to the highs we saw yesterday. But the kicker is, we were just as sunny. That sunshine brought temps back into the low and mid-seventies today, and we’ll carry this small warming trend into the low eighties by tomorrow. A weak cold front will move through Sunday night into Monday, bringing a 20–30% chance of showers. Behind it, north to northeast winds will strengthen early next week, leading to poor beach and boating conditions. Temperatures will also dip slightly Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the low to mid-70s north, before a warming trend returns mid- to late week, pushing highs back into the 80s. Conditions will stay mainly dry after Monday, with breezy onshore winds easing by midweek.

    Warming Weekend Trend Continues Ahead of Soggy Workweek Start in Central Florida

    Definitely warmer outdoors compared to the highs we saw yesterday. But the kicker is, we were just as sunny. That sunshine brought temps back into the low and mid-seventies today, and we’ll carry this small warming trend into the low eighties by tomorrow. A weak cold front will move through Sunday night into Monday, bringing a 20–30% chance of showers. Behind it, north to northeast winds will strengthen early next week, leading to poor beach and boating conditions. Temperatures will also dip slightly Monday and Tuesday, with highs in the low to mid-70s north, before a warming trend returns mid- to late week, pushing highs back into the 80s. Conditions will stay mainly dry after Monday, with breezy onshore winds easing by midweek.

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